The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain in five cases related to the 2020 riots, reported Bar and Bench.
Hussain will, however, remain in jail on account of other cases against him in connection with the communal violence that had broken out in North East Delhi between February 23 and February 26, 2020.
The violence, which broke out as supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing the law clashed, claimed 53 lives and left hundreds injured. The majority of those killed were Muslims.
All the five FIRs in which Hussain got bail were filed at the Dayal Pur Police Station. The former Aam Aadmi Party councillor has been accused of offences under the Indian Penal Code pertaining attempt to murder, rioting, mischief by fire and criminal conspiracy, reported Bar and Bench.
During the hearings, senior advocate Salman Khurshid, appearing for Hussain, had argued that all other persons in the cases have been granted bail and that his client was the only person in jail for the last three years.
Khurshid had argued that Hussain was not named in the initial witness statements. He had added that that there are no specific acts attributed to Hussain.
Eleven FIRs have been filed against Hussain, including one in which he is charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and accused of being involved in a larger conspiracy of commit the riots.
The Delhi Police claim the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and was hatched by those who organised the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
They also claim that the protestors had secessionist motives and were using “the facade of civil disobedience” to destabilise the government.
Hussain has also been charged with money laundering. A Delhi court had said that prima facie findings indicate that Hussain conspired to engage in money laundering and the proceeds generated from the crime were used in the riots.
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