Delhi court convicts Tahir Hussain of abetment to rioting in 2020 riots case Delhi court convicts Tahir Hussain of abetment to rioting in 2020 riots case

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councillor Tahir Hussain of abetment to rioting in a case related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, while acquitting him of other charges and clearing seven co-accused of all charges.

Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Court convicted Hussain in connection with the looting and burning of a shop in the Dayalpur area on February 24, 2020, amid the communal violence that rocked North-East Delhi.

The court acquitted Hussain of the other offences in the case.

The seven other accused were also acquitted of all charges.

The court has scheduled arguments on the quantum of sentence for November 16.

The case relates to a complaint lodged by a shopkeeper in the Dayalpur area, who alleged that his shop was looted and set on fire on February 24, 2020.

According to the complaint, goods worth Rs 17-18 lakh were stolen and the property suffered damage estimated at Rs 10 lakh.

An FIR was registered at the Dayalpur police station under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 427 (mischief causing damage), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

This is Hussain's second conviction in cases related to the February 2020 riots.

He is already serving a life sentence after being convicted in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma.

The Karkardooma Court had convicted Hussain and four others -- Javed, Anas, Nazim and Kasim -- for Ankit Sharma's murder and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Six other accused were acquitted in that case.

Hussain has challenged his conviction and life sentence before the Delhi High Court.

In September, the High Court issued notice to the Delhi Police on his appeal and directed that it be listed along with connected appeals filed by other convicts on December 2.

The communal violence in North-East Delhi in February 2020 claimed 53 lives, left several others injured and caused extensive damage to property.

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