Delhi Court Convicts Former AAP Councillor in 2020 Riots Case: What’s Next?

Court Ruling on Former AAP Councillor

New Delhi: On Saturday, a court in Delhi found former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain guilty of inciting rioting linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots that occurred in the Dayalpur region. In contrast, the other twelve defendants were acquitted of all charges.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh determined that Hussain was guilty under Section 147 (punishment for rioting) in conjunction with Section 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), while he was cleared of other allegations.

The court has scheduled a hearing for sentencing arguments against Hussain on November 16, with a detailed ruling still pending.

The case involved thirteen individuals, including Hussain, Mohammad Shadab, Shah Alam, Riyasat Ali, Gulfam, Rashid, Mohammad Rihan, Mohammad Abid, Arshad Qayyum, Irshad Ahmed, Deepak Singh Saini, Navneet, and Mehak Singh.

All accused faced charges related to rioting, property damage, arson, and criminal conspiracy, among other offenses. While Hussain was convicted on two counts, his twelve co-defendants were acquitted.

Previously, in July, a Delhi court had convicted Hussain along with four others for their involvement in the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the same riots.

This case originated from a complaint filed by Sharma's father, Ravinder Kumar, at the Dayalpur police station. Following the emergence of his name in the case, Hussain was suspended from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The riots that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020 resulted in the deaths of 53 individuals, numerous injuries, and significant property destruction.