Delhi court convicts ex-councillor Tahir Hussain for 2020 riots role

A Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain for abetting rioting during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts delivered the verdict on Saturday, which also saw four others convicted for their roles in the violence, specifically concerning an arson incident in the Dayalpur area. While convicting these five individuals, the court acquitted 12 other co-accused of all charges brought against them in this particular case.The legal proceedings involved charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to rioting, mischief by fire, and criminal conspiracy. The case focused on the widespread destruction of property that occurred during the 2020 civil unrest in the national capital.This judgment marks the second conviction for Tahir Hussain in connection with the 2020 riots. He had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction for the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma. During the earlier murder trial, Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey had detailed the severity of the attack on the staffer, noting that the victim sustained 51 injuries, including 18 from sharp-edged weapons, before being killed by a mob.The current conviction for abetting rioting adds to the legal outcomes facing the former councillor stemming from the 2020 northeast Delhi violence. The court's decision in this matter concludes a specific segment of the ongoing judicial process regarding the widespread riots that gripped the region.