Delhi riots: HC seeks police response on Tahir Hussain’s fresh bail plea

The Delhi high court sought the response of the Delhi Police on a fresh bail plea moved by former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, who has been arrested in connection with the north-east Delhi riots that had broken out in February.

Justice Suresh Kait issued a notice to the police and asked the Investigating officer (IO) to file a status report on the plea, Hussain’s counsel Rizwan said.

Delhi Police’s special cell has charged Hussain for rioting, murder and inciting rioters. He has also been charged for hatching a conspiracy to orchestrate the riots and funding the communal carnage.

A trial court, on October 22, had denied bail to Hussain in the case related to the looting of a shop in Dayalpur which had caused a loss of about ₹20 lakh to the shop owner.

Hussain, in his present plea, has sought bail on the grounds that there were only general allegations in the FIR and no specific allegation was made against him. He also contended that there were 10 accused in the case and nine have already been granted bail and only he was still in jail.

Hussain further said he was not even named in the FIR and claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case. Hussain’s legal counsels have in the past denied all the allegations and said he was a victim of political rivalry.

The FIR was lodged on March 4 on the complaint given by one Zeeshan, who owns a furniture shop at the main Sherpur Chowk in Dayalpur. Zeeshan stated that on February 25, he had received a call that the shutter of his shop had been broken and articles looted by rioters as a result of which he had incurred a loss of ₹20 lakh.

Communal violence had broken out in north-east Delhi on February 24, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 400 injured. While Delhi Police has claimed that violence had erupted from a standoff between protesters and supporters of the amended citizenship law, several civil society members and student activists have criticised the Delhi Police for its lopsided investigation into the riots.