New Delhi: Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain has filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, seeking interim bail in connection with a murder case linked to the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi. Hussain, who aims to contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections from the Mustafabad constituency under All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) banner, has requested temporary bail to manage his election-related activities, reports the Hindustan Times.
The plea was initially listed before Justice Amit Sharma, who recused himself from hearing the case. It was then assigned to Justice Neena Bansal Krishna but could not be heard that day. The court is now scheduled to hear the matter on January 13.
In his petition, Hussain has sought bail from January 14 to February 9 to facilitate the filing of his nomination papers, opening of a bank account, and conducting election campaigns. His request is part of a larger bail application related to charges in the ongoing murder case, stemming from his alleged involvement in the February 2020 riots.
The riots, which erupted on February 24, 2020, during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), resulted in 53 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and widespread destruction. One notable case during the violence involved the death of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, whose body was found in a drain with multiple injuries. Hussain is accused of orchestrating Sharma’s murder, along with inciting violence.
Hussain’s legal counsel, Tara Narula, emphasised that he has already spent nearly five years in custody and that the trial is progressing slowly. With only 20 of the 114 prosecution witnesses examined so far, the defence argued that the process would take considerable time to conclude. The plea also highlighted that several co-accused in the case had been granted bail.
The court will decide on Hussain’s interim bail request on January 13. The case continues to draw attention, given its association with one of the most controversial episodes of communal violence in recent Indian history.
