New Delhi [India], July 31 : The brother of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, on Friday expressed disappointment over the life imprisonment awarded to former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and four others, saying the family had been seeking the death penalty for the convicts.
Delhi's Karkardooma Court on Friday sentenced Tahir Hussain and four others to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Sharma.
Speaking to ANI over the phone, Ankit Sharma's brother said the family had been seeking capital punishment for the convicts.
"Our demand from the very beginning was that the court should treat my brother's case as the 'rarest of the rare' and award the harshest punishment, which is the death penalty. We were expecting capital punishment," he said.
Asked whether the family was satisfied with the life sentence, he said they would consult their lawyers and decide on the next legal course of action.
"Ankit was martyred while serving the nation and performing his duty. The manner in which he was identified, targeted and brutally killed was horrific. The convicts should receive such a punishment that it serves as a deterrent, and no one dares to commit such an act in the future," he said.
He further said that the family would continue its legal battle to seek the strictest possible punishment for the convicts.
"As long as everyone stands with us, my brother will receive complete justice. We will consult our lawyers and continue the legal battle in the Delhi High Court or wherever the case proceeds, so that the convicts are awarded the strictest possible punishment," he said.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta welcomed the Court verdict and questioned AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal over his alleged support for Tahir Hussain, asking if "individuals like Tahir Hussain conspire to incite riots with his tacit approval" and urged him to explain the act to the citizens.
In a post on X, CM Gupta welcomed the court's verdict and said that "justice prevailed today and the verdict would further strengthen the faith of every citizen in the country in the law and the judiciary.
"We welcome the Hon'ble Court's verdict sentencing former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and five other convicts to life imprisonment for the murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma. Today, the people of Delhi demand answers from the Aam Aadmi Party. Tahir Hussain was arrested on murder charges, yet Kejriwal ji and Manish Sisodia continued to stand by him and made persistent efforts to shield him! Why? Will Kejriwal ji explain this to the people of Delhi? Did individuals like Tahir Hussain conspire to incite riots with his tacit approval?" Gupta said in her post.