Former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain faced a set back when a Delhi court on Saturday dismissed a bail plea moved by him in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged funding of Northeast Delhi violence of February 2020.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat dismissed his plea on Saturday. The order was received by Rawat on February 8 after hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the accused.
Tahir was accused of funding the Northeast Delhi violence in 2020 which killed many people. He is in custody for one and half years. A case was registered by the Enforcement Directorate against him in connection with instigating and funding the riots.
Advocate N.K. Matta a special prosecutor, representing the ED had submitted that there are sufficient proofs on record against Hussain and a case of money laundering is made out against him. He also added that there is sufficient evidence and witnesses to the effect that the accused was involved in the funding of riots. He also accused Hussain of distributing money to other accused persons for riots and procuring the weapons.
Advocate Rizwan, appearing for Tahir Hussain claimed that no case of money laundering is made out against Hussain and he said that the basis of the Enforcement Directorate case is an alleged transaction of ₹1.5 crore on fake and bogus invoices.
“Tahir Hussain has been made accused of money laundering along with Amit Gupta. Amit Gupta has not been made an accused of the riots case on the basis of which this money laundering case was registered.”
Advocate Rizwan
Rizwan argued that his client has already spent a period of one and half years in jail and the punishment in the instant case is seven years and he cannot be convicted without conviction in the main riots cases and that will take years to be completed. The applicant can’t be kept in jail for such a long period of time said Rizwan.
Tahir Hussain, along with nine others, planned the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma, whose body was found in a drain in Chand Bagh on February 26 during the violence in Northeast Delhi. He is currently in jail serving his sentence.