On Wednesday, January 11, Delhi’s Karkardoom Court framed charges against former MCD councillor and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case. The former AAP councillor has been charged with funding anti-Hindu riots in 2020 through illegal means.
Hussain has not pleaded guilty and opted for trials after Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat framed the charges against him.
2020 North East Delhi violence | Delhi’s Karkardooma Court today framed the charges against ex-MCD councillor Tahir Hussain in a money laundering case. He has been charged with the offence of funding the riots using alleged laundered money. He has not pleaded guilty.
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2023
Reportedly, the riot-accused ex-councillor had on January 8 sought parole to get medical treatment at a private hospital citing his ‘poor health’. Following this, the Additional Sessions Judge has sought Tahir Hussain’s medical reports.
The matter has been listed for hearing on February 10 for the presentation of evidence. During the hearing, Tahir Hussain’s counsel was absent, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was represented by Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Naveen Kumar Matta and Faizan.
It has been claimed that Hussain allegedly conspired to partake in money laundering, and the proceeds of the crime were used in funding the northeast Delhi riots against Hindus.
Hussain was previously charged in three separate cases in link with the February 2020 violence in Delhi, including the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
It is notable that in November 2022, a Delhi court dismissed Tahir Hussain’s plea challenging a trial court order framing charges against him in the money laundering case and also rejected his bail plea.
The trial court order stated that it appears prima facie that accused Tahir Hussain was involved in the conspiracy and engaged in money laundering.”
According to the order, “Tahir Hussain, in a conspiracy to fraudulently withdraw money from accounts of certain companies owned or controlled by him through bogus and malafide transactions, with him as the beneficiary and with intent using it to fund riots, would be set to be deriving or obtaining property as a result of criminal activity associated with/relatable to the scheduled offence as the proceeds of crime and will be guilty of money laundering.”
Earlier in October, the court framed charges against former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councilor Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam, and four other accused in a similar case in connection with the anti-Hindu riots that took place in North-East Delhi in 2020. Justice Pulastya Pramachala, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) heard the case in the Karkardooma District Court of Delhi and framed charges against former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam, Tanveer Malik, Gulfam, Nazim, and Kasim.
‘Clear-cut objective to harm Hindus’
Notably, a Delhi court on December 5, 2022, framed charges against Tahir Hussain, Liyaqat Ali and others involved in the 2020 Delhi riots and held that there was clear cut objective to harm Hindus in every manner possible while framing charges against the accused, involving former councillor Tahir Hussain, in Delhi Riots 2020.
“Clear Cut objective to harm hindus in every manner possible,” says Delhi Court while framing charges against Tahir Hussain, Riyasat Ali, Gulfam, Shah Alam, Rashid Saifi, Arshad Qayyum, Liyakat Ali, Mohd Shadab, Mohd Abid and Irshad Ahmad #DelhiRiots 2020 pic.twitter.com/77zDi9MYpT
— LawBeat (@LawBeatInd) December 5, 2022
The court held all the accused liable to be tried for hatching a criminal conspiracy to indulge in riots & to harm the properties of Hindus, assaulting persons from the Hindu community, who were present in that building.
Role of Tahir Hussain in the Delhi riots
It is notable to mention that Tahir Hussain had earlier confessed in a disclosure statement that he chose his own house as a launchpad for the riots. Given that his house was a high-rise building and was under construction at that time, it was easy to collect stones and bricks without raising any suspicion.
He also confessed that he and his co-conspirators had started collecting stones, bricks, and other ammunition, well in advance so that they could teach those, who were in support of the CAA, a lesson when the time was right. The Aam Aadmi Party later expelled Tahir Hussain from the party.
