A Delhi court has sentenced former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain to two years in prison for abetting rioting during the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, adding another conviction to a case that has continued through the city’s criminal justice system for more than six years.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Court passed the sentence on Friday, according to a report by The Hindu. The court said the prosecution had not established Hussain’s direct participation in the rioting, but held that the role attributed to him in facilitating the violence remained serious.
“The act attributed to the convict, and for which he stands convicted, is that of providing his house to the rioters for their use,” the court said. “The mere fact that the prosecution did not prove the active participation of the convict in the riot does not dilute the gravity of his conduct, for the hand that guides is as guilty, if not more, as the hand that acts.”
The case originated from an FIR registered at Dayalpur police station following a complaint by Irshad Ali. He alleged that his shop was looted and set on fire on February 24, 2020, during the communal violence in Northeast Delhi. Ali claimed losses of approximately ₹27-28 lakh, including the value of goods allegedly stolen and damage to the property.
Another complainant, Mohd Zahid, alleged that members of the rioting mob raised slogans in support of Hussain. The court’s sentencing, as reported, relates to the allegation that Hussain provided his house for use by rioters rather than to a finding that he directly participated in the violence.
Hussain, a former AAP councillor who later joined the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, is already serving a life sentence after his conviction in the murder case of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. The latest sentence therefore comes against the backdrop of an earlier conviction arising from the same period of violence.
The proceedings underline the continuing judicial fallout from the riots, which caused deaths, injuries, property destruction and displacement across parts of Northeast Delhi. For residents and property owners affected by the violence, criminal cases have been one part of a longer process involving investigation, prosecution and claims relating to damaged shops and homes.
The court’s reasoning also draws a distinction between direct physical participation in rioting and alleged facilitation, treating the provision of premises for violent activity as a serious contribution to the offence. That distinction is central to the sentence reported in this case.
The Hindu report did not provide further details on whether the two-year sentence will run concurrently with or separately from Hussain’s existing life sentence, or on any immediate appeal or other legal step following the order.
