Delhi Court Convicts Tahir Hussain Of Abetting Rioting In 2020 Delhi Violence Case

A Delhi court on Saturday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain of abetment to rioting in a case linked to the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots. However, the court acquitted him of the other charges and cleared seven co-accused of all offences.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Court delivered the verdict in a case involving the looting and burning of a shop in the Dayalpur area on February 24, 2020.

The court has scheduled arguments on the quantum of sentence for November 16.

The case originated from a complaint by a shopkeeper who alleged that a mob looted his shop and set it on fire during the communal violence.

The complainant estimated that the stolen goods were worth Rs 17–18 lakh, while the fire caused property damage of around Rs 10 lakh.

Police registered an FIR at Dayalpur police station under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 147, 148, 149, 427, 436 and 120B, relating to rioting, unlawful assembly, property damage, arson and criminal conspiracy.

This marks Hussain’s second conviction in cases linked to the February 2020 violence. He is already serving a life sentence for the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma.

The Karkardooma Court convicted Hussain and four others — Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim — in the murder case and sentenced them to life imprisonment. It acquitted six other accused.

Hussain has challenged that conviction before the Delhi High Court, which issued notice to Delhi Police in September and scheduled the appeal alongside related matters for December 2.

The February 2020 riots claimed 53 lives, injured several people and caused extensive property damage across North-East Delhi.

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