Delhi riots case: Court denies bail to ex-councillor Tahir Hussain, 2 others

A Delhi court on Thursday rejected the bail applications of the three Delhi riots larger conspiracy case accused — Salim Malik, Athar Khan and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing the bail applications of the accused and denied them bail.

The trio had filed their bail applications after the Supreme Court granted bail to five other accused in the same case, contending that they are facing similar charges and seeking parity.

These three accused have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) over their alleged involvement in the 2020 riots.

Athar, a former call centre employee, has been accused of being one of the main organisers of the protest at Chand Bagh in northeast Delhi and allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches there.

According to the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, Athar allegedly participated in secret meetings, in which he said that the “time has come to burn Delhi” and coordinated the destruction of CCTV cameras.

Salim was also among the 11 alleged organisers and speakers of the anti-CAA/NRC meeting.

The alleged organisers were Mohammed Saleem Khan, Salim Malik, Mohammed Jalaluddin alias Guddu Bhai, Shahnawaz, Furkan, Mohammed Ayub, Mohammed Yunus, Tabassum, Mohammed Ayaz and his brother Khalid.

On January 5, the Supreme Court granted bail to five accused — Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad — in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

The top court, however, denied relief to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, saying all the accused in the case do not stand on the same footing.

There was a prima facie case against Khalid and Imam under the UAPA, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria said while denying bail to the two former Jawaharlal Nehru University students.

Of the 20 accused named in the case, two are still absconding, and the remaining 18 applied for bail in the past.

Among 18, seven are still in prison, including Khalid, Imam, Athar Khan, Salim Malik, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, Tasleem Ahmed, and Khalid Saifi.