In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted custody parole to Tahir Hussain, a former AAP councillor and an accused in the February 2020 Delhi riots, allowing him to campaign for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. Hussain, who is contesting on an AIMIM ticket, has been permitted to campaign from January 29 to February 3 under strict police supervision.
The decision was made by a three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta, who imposed several conditions on Hussain’s parole. According to the court’s directive, Hussain is to be accompanied by security during daytime campaigning activities and must return to jail each night.
The court also specified that Hussain’s custody parole would be contingent upon a security deposit of Rs 2.47 lakh per day to cover the expenses of the accompanying security detail.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, representing Hussain, emphasized the limited campaigning period remaining and stated that Hussain would avoid his house, which is located in the riot-affected area. Instead, Hussain plans to stay in a hotel and has promised to provide all necessary details to the authorities.
The plea faced opposition from Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who highlighted the seriousness of Hussain’s alleged role in the riots and cautioned that granting such relief could set a precedent encouraging others in judicial custody to seek similar permissions.
Despite these concerns, the court proceeded with granting the custody parole, instructing both parties to finalize the details regarding the security measures and financial implications. This decision allows Hussain to engage with voters in the Mustafabad constituency where he is a candidate.
