Delhi Riots Accused Tahir Hussain Granted Permission for Election Campaign, SC Grants 'Custody Parole'

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Tahir Hussain, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor and accused in the 2020 Delhi riots requested the Supreme Court on Tuesday for permission to campaign during his custody for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The Supreme Court granted him custody parole, allowing him to leave jail for 12 hours daily from January 29 to February 3 to campaign. The court set conditions for Hussain’s parole, requiring him to bear the cost of two police personnel, a jail van and an escort vehicle. Hussain was also directed to deposit an advance for two days, amounting to over ₹2 lakh per day.

During this period, Hussain is allowed to visit his party office and hold meetings with voters in his constituency but is prohibited from visiting his residence in Karawal Nagar. Additionally, he is restricted from discussing the pending cases against him. Hussain, represented by senior advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, requested the court to allow him to campaign, citing that only a few days were left for electioneering. Aggarwal stated that the alleged site of the Delhi riots, near his house was in the Mustafabad constituency, where Hussain is contesting the election. He further assured that Hussain would not visit his home but would stay in a hotel during the campaign.

The request faced opposition from Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who argued that granting such relief could lead to similar requests from others in jail. The court instructed Raju to seek further details regarding the security and expenses required for Hussain’s parole. It also asked Aggarwal to inform Hussain of the undertakings he would have to give. On January 22, Hussain's plea for interim bail was rejected by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court. However, the Delhi High Court had granted him custody parole on January 14, allowing him to file his nomination papers from Mustafabad as a candidate of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). The violence that erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020 resulted in 53 deaths and numerous injuries. Hussain is one of the accused in the case related to the death of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma.