2020 Delhi Riots: Delhi HC Grants Bail To Ex-AAP Leader Tahir Hussain In Five Cases

Tahir Hussain was booked for different offences in five FIRs related to the 2020 Delhi riots. All the FIRs were lodged at the Dayalpur police station.

File photo of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain in five cases related to the 2020 riots in the national capital. Tahir Hussain was booked for different offences in five FIRs related to the 2020 Delhi riots. All the FIRs were lodged at the Dayalpur police station. Charges against Hussain included rioting, attempt to murder, mischief by fire, and criminal conspiracy.

According to legal news website Bar and Bench, senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for Hussain, argued that the former AAP councillor was the only one among 11 accused who has been in jail since 2020. 

The cases against Tahir Hussain also pertain to the injuries sustained by two individuals due to a violent mob engaging in stone pelting, hurling petrol bombs, and firing gunshots from the rooftop of Hussain's residence, reported India Today. These acts are alleged to constitute attempted murder and violation of the Arms Act. Additionally, Hussain is being prosecuted for the destruction of public property.

On June 2, 2020, the Delhi Police filed two chargesheets in the Delhi riots case, designating Tahir Hussain as the primary conspirator. According to the police investigation, there existed a "deep-rooted conspiracy" to incite riots in northeast Delhi.

The police were quoted as saying by India Today, "Tahir Hussain, a politician affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party and a sitting councillor in EDMC, played a crucial role in the incident. His younger brother, Shah Alam, was also arrested. Hussain's licensed pistol, which he used during the riots, was confiscated during the investigation."

A Delhi court, in May of this year, ordered the framing of charges against Hussain and five others for rioting, arson, and other offences. The court emphasized that Tahir Hussain was "not just a mere conspirator but an active participant in the riots". The court stated, "He was not a passive onlooker but actively engaged in the violence and incited other members of the unlawful assembly to harm individuals belonging to other communities."

In March, the Karkardooma Court in Delhi charged Tahir Hussain and 10 others with murder in relation to the killing of Intelligence Bureau official Ankit Sharma during the 2020 Delhi riots. In its ruling, the court noted that Tahir Hussain consistently acted as a supervisor and motivator of the mob, and further stated that these actions were carried out with the intent to target Hindus.

Communal clashes erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, following escalating violence between supporters and protesters of the citizenship law. The clashes resulted in at least 53 fatalities and approximately 700 injuries.

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