A significant judicial decision emerged this Saturday when a Delhi court granted bail to Tahir Hussain, the former AAP councillor entangled in a money laundering investigation related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Despite this development, Hussain will remain incarcerated due to his alleged involvement in a broader conspiracy surrounding the communal violence.
The bail hearing, overseen by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai, highlighted the duration of Hussain’s imprisonment, which has already exceeded half the maximum sentence stipulated for the charges under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)—a maximum of seven years. Hussain has been detained for over four years.
Judge Bajpai’s ruling stated, “The court concludes that as the applicant (Hussain) had undergone more than half of the period of imprisonment as provided for the offence allegedly committed by him, he is entitled to bail.” Consequently, Hussain was granted bail upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of the same amount.
The case against Hussain stems from three FIRs lodged by Delhi Police in the aftermath of the riots, covering various charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Following these charges, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Hussain on March 9, 2020, propelling the financial probe that led to his ongoing legal battles.
