Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Amleshwar Rai, who was posted in the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police in 2020, was entrusted with investigating the sensational murder of IB officer Ankit Sharma after his body was recovered by the local police.

In a conversation with The Tribune, Rai, recalled that he was made the Investigating Officer (IO) after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch was constituted to probe the case. He said Sharma had sustained 51 grievous injuries.

During probe, the team recovered rioting material, including petrol bombs, from the terrace of Tahir Hussain’s house indicating that the violence was a pre-planned conspiracy.

The first major breakthrough came when blood samples collected from near the drain where Sharma’s body was found matched with those of Hussain.

Rai said Hussain’s influence in the area, as a sitting councillor, made it challenging to ensure that witnesses did not turn hostile. All witnesses, including Sharma’s family members, were provided security.

The investigation also faced disruption during the Covid-19 outbreak, which made it difficult to examine witnesses and record their statements. Despite these challenges, the first charge sheet was filed on June 3, 2020, followed by six more charge sheets.

Rai, a native of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh who joined the Delhi Police as a sub-inspector in 1994, played an instrumental role in securing the conviction of the accused.

The investigators collected, preserved and analysed CCTV footage from multiple locations. Though several cameras had been deliberately covered or turned away to prevent the incident from being recorded, one crucial CCTV clip captured three men allegedly dumping Sharma’s body into the Khajuri Nala near Chand Bagh Pulia.

The footage, sourced through a witness’s mobile phone, became key electronic evidence. It helped reconstruct the sequence of events, corroborate witness testimonies and establish the movements of the accused. Along with the testimonies of 91 witnesses, including public witnesses, police officials, medical experts and forensic experts, the evidence led to the conviction of Tahir Hussain, Nazim, Kasim, Javed and Anas.