A team of lawyers from APCR secured the release of Gulfam and Shoaib
NEW DELHI — A Delhi court has acquitted two Muslims, Gulfam and Shoaib, in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
The judgment was delivered on July 13 by Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh at the Karkardooma Courts in State v. Md. Tahir Hussain & Others (Sessions Case No. 120/20), arising from FIR No. 65/2020 registered at Dayalpur police station.
The acquittal was announced by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), which had been providing legal representation to Gulfam and Shoaib throughout the trial. According to the organisation, it had also secured bail for both men in several other cases linked to the largely anti-Muslim 2020 Delhi riots before the conclusion of this trial.
APCR said the case spanned several years and that its legal team remained focused on ensuring the accused received a fair trial and due process under the law.
The defence was led by advocate Rajiv Mohan, assisted by advocates Tara Narula, Sonal Sarda and Shivangi Sharma, who represented the two accused on behalf of APCR.
In a statement, APCR described access to competent legal representation as a fundamental component of the criminal justice system. The organisation said it would continue providing legal assistance to individuals facing criminal prosecution, while emphasising the importance of fair trials in accordance with constitutional safeguards and the rule of law.
The case relates to the killing of the IB officer in the February 2020 riots, one of the deadliest episodes of unrest in the National capital in recent years.
The riots claimed more than 50 lives, mostly Muslims, and resulted in hundreds of injuries, leading to multiple criminal investigations and prosecutions that have continued through the courts.
