New Delhi: In a significant case related to the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the February 2020 communal riots in Northeast Delhi, the Karkardooma court has acquitted six Muslim youths of all charges after over six years of legal proceedings, while five other accused have been found guilty. The families of the acquitted youths expressed joy and thanked Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani for providing legal assistance.

According to the court verdict, Firoz, Sameer, Hussain alias Mulla Ji alias Salman, Gulfam, Shaib Alam alias Babbi, and Montasim alias Musa have been honorably acquitted of all charges. A total of eleven individuals were accused in the case. Advocate Abdul Gaffar, representing Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, had pursued the case for four accused, including Firoz and Sameer, who have now been acquitted by the court.

Advocate Abdul Gaffar stated that the court has acquitted six individuals of the charges, while the remaining accused have the legal right to appeal to a higher court and prove their innocence. He said that during the prolonged court proceedings, the defense team followed the case based on legal and documentary evidence, resulting in justice for several accused.

It is worth noting that on February 24, 2020, large-scale communal violence broke out in Northeast Delhi. On February 25, 2020, 26-year-old Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma went missing, and his body was recovered from a drain in Khajuri Khas the next day. The post-mortem report revealed multiple injuries on his body. Based on a complaint filed by his father, former municipal councilor Tahir Hussain was named as the key accused, and the police also filed a case against ten other individuals.

According to Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, in sensitive cases where the actual culprits must be punished according to the law, it is also a constitutional and legal requirement to provide justice and effective legal defense to innocent individuals. With this objective, the organization has been providing legal assistance in several cases related to the Delhi riots over the past few years.

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind stated that it is pursuing legal proceedings in over 200 cases related to the Delhi riots, and as a result of its legal efforts, more than 100 individuals have been honorably acquitted in various cases so far. The organization is also providing continuous services for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of affected families. The families of the acquitted youths expressed gratitude to Maulana Mahmood Asad Madani, saying that they were provided with legal and moral support during difficult times, for which they are deeply thankful.