While the Delhi anti-Hindu riots rage on, the country woke up to disturbing news on 26th January. An Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, Ankit Sharma, had been brutally murdered and his tortured remains were recovered from a nearby drain. Some said that the IB officer was mercilessly thrown after the murder during the Delhi anti-Hindu riots, others alleged that the body was hidden so it would not be recovered.
The family of Ankit Sharma had been looking for him since Tuesday. His father, Ravinder Sharma, is also head constable in the Intelligence Bureau. Ankit Sharma had joined the IB in 2017. As per reports, his rank was ‘security assistant’.
Ravinder Sharma had held the Aam Admi Party responsible for his son’s brutal murder. As it emerged, AAP Corporator Tahir Hussain is smack in the middle of this brutal saga where Ankit, a young, dedicated IB officer was brutally murdered.
Hindu residents of Moonga Nagar area of Chand Bagh have levelled serious allegations against AAP Corporator Mohammed Tahir Hussain. As per the residents, the Muslim mob operated from Hussain’s house to unleash their carnage. Eyewitnesses have said that Ankit Sharma was dragged in the house that belongs to Tahir Hussain, AAP MLA, by a Muslim mob along with two others. Images and footage of Tahir Hussain himself wielding a laathi have emerged along with the rooftop of his house, littered with stones and petrol bombs.
Ankit Sharma’s brother has also maintained in his various conversations with the media that his brother was murdered by Tahir Hussain and a Muslim mob that was working under his command.
The road outside Tahir Hussain’s 4-storey house bears testament to their version of events. One can hardly make out that beneath the stones, alcohol bottles presumably used as petrol bombs, crates and empty boxes of petrol, there once lay a road. In front of Tahir Hussain’s building, one can see a “Piyaoo” (water drinking station) with his name on it. From the facade that Tahir Hussain had created, it was hard to fathom that something so sinister would be afoot inside that 4-storey building.
Read: AAP leader Tahir Hussain’s goons attacked him, says family of IB officer murdered in Delhi riots
In order to whitewash the heinous murder of Ankit Sharma, on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a report titled, “India’s Ruling Party, Government Slammed Over Delhi Violence”. In its report, the WSJ claims that Ankur Sharma, the brother of the deceased IB officer allegedly said to them that the rioters had come armed with stones, rods, knives, and even swords, and shouted slogans ‘Jai Shri Ram’ before attacking his brother Ankit Sharma. As per WSJ’s assertions, Ankur Sharma accused Hindu groups of attacking his brother Ankit Sharma, who was later found brutally murdered in Delhi.
Speaking to OpIndia, Ankur flatly refuted this quote. “I have never said this madam, the people who murdered my brother were not shouting Jai Shree Ram”, he said.
With a heavy, distressed voice Ankur told me the chilling sequence of events that led to the brutal murder of his brother, IB sleuth Ankit Sharma. Ankur said that his brother, a dedicated government official who worked for IB was on duty. After leaving the house early morning for work, he returned in the evening. He parked his bike in front of the house, and without even entering the house said that he knows the people in the area and wanted to convince them to stop rioting. “Usne kaha main in logo ko jaanta hu, ye meri baat sun lenge” (He said I know these people personally, they will listen to me), said Ankur.
Despite his family telling him not to go and let the police handle the situation, Ankit, an on-duty IB officer, crossed the lane where he resided and went to speak to both sides – Hindus and Muslims.
Ankur tells me that when Ankit went to speak to the Hindus and Muslims, he specifically identified himself as an IB officer. He thought that if he identifies himself as such, people would be more willing to trust him and stop.
As it turns out, that was not the case. Ankur, Ankit’s brother said that when he spoke to the Hindus, the Hindus retreated immediately, however, the Muslim side had different plans. Hearing that Ankit was an IB officer enraged them even more. While the Hindus stopped, the Muslim mob mobilised further and caught hold of Ankit. He says that the Muslim mob then started dragging him to Tahir Hussain’s house, the AAP corporator. While Ankit was being dragged inside by the Muslim mob, from the 4 storey building belonging to Tahir Hussain, stones started raining down on everyone below.
Read: Delhi riots: Petrol Bombs, crates of stones found stored on AAP councillor Tahir Hussain’s rooftop
In fact, it was not just stones that rained down. Ankur says that along with stones, petrol bombs and even gunshots were being rained own by the Islamists from inside Tahir Hussain’s building.
According to Ankur, this was being done so nobody would attempt to rescue Ankit. As soon as Ankit started being dragged inside the house, Hindus ran to rescue Ankit, however, they were fended off by the rain of stones, petrol bombs and bullets.
“Unhone Ratan Lal ko bhi maara, DCP ko zakhmi kiya, ye log police ke logon ko maar rahe hai. Ankit ne apne aap ko IB officiial bataya, isiliye maar giraya”, Ankur told me.
It was only later that they felt something untoward had happened with Ankit. While the FIR was filed late at night, the next day, his mutilated body was recovered from the drain.
Ankur has not seen his brother’s mutilated body yet. When he spoke to OpIndia, he was in his native village, waiting for Ankit’s mortal remains to be brought to perform the last rights.
“I have to take care of my family, didi. They are broken. He was everyone’s favourite. He was friendly and always willing to help. They killed him and now we don’t know how to handle ourselves”, he said.
“It was Tahir Hussain who killed him, didi. He is the head of the riots here. He is conducting the riots. He was directing the Musalmans who dragged him inside the house. Arvind Kejriwal will paint my brother as a rioter, didi. He was not a rioter. He was a government official who had gone there to convince people to stop fighting. He knew people from both sides. He is a Shaheen”, Ankur said distressed.
When asked for financial details for anyone who would like to help, Ankur said that they are first trying to give Shaheen Ankur Sharma the last rights he deserved and would find out about legitimate account details later.
“Help us get Shaheen status for Ankur, he was not a rioter, Arvind Kejriwal will try to prove he was one”, were his last words before Ankur left to wait for his brutally murdered brother’s mortal remains, to perform his last rights.
Ankit’s body had several deep knife cuts on his throat and sides. He had been tortured before he was killed, Ankur said. Shaheed Ankit Singh – a man murdered by Islamists – was just doing his job.
