2020 Delhi riots: Court grants bail to Tahir Hussain in money laundering case

A Delhi court on Saturday, 29 March, granted bail to former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the money-laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.

Hussain, however, will continue to remain in jail as he is an accused in the case regarding the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal riots as well.

Additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai, who heard Hussain’s bail plea, said that he had been in jail for more than four years, while the maximum sentence for the offence under Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was seven years.

The plea said that the former AAP councillor had already undergone more than half of the sentence.

"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 for bail."

"Accordingly the applicant is granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties in the like amount," the court said.

Delhi Police had registered three FIRs against Hussain and others under various IPC sections in connection with the communal riots.

Based on the scheduled offences, the Enforcement Directorate registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Hussain on 9 March 2020.