A Delhi court on Saturday convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain of abetment to rioting in a case connected to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh found Hussain guilty under Section 147 (punishment for rioting) read with Section 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code, while acquitting him of other charges in the case.
The case involved 13 accused, including Hussain, Mohammad Shadab, Shah Alam, Riyasat Ali, Gulfam, Rashid, Mohammad Rihan, Mohammad Abid, Arshad Qayyum, Irshad Ahmed, Deepak Singh Saini, Navneet, and Mehak Singh. All defendants had been charged with rioting, causing damage to property, mischief by fire, and criminal conspiracy, among other offences. The court acquitted Hussain's 12 co-accused of all charges.
Hussain's conviction relates to rioting in the Dayalpur area of northeast Delhi. The case stems from an FIR registered at Dayalpur police station based on a complaint filed by Ravinder Kumar, father of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the riots. The detailed court order is awaited. Sentencing arguments in Hussain's case have been scheduled for November 16, 2026.
This conviction is not Hussain's first related to the 2020 riots. In July 2026, a separate Delhi court convicted Hussain and four others in a case related to Ankit Sharma's killing during the same period of violence.
The 2020 northeast Delhi riots erupted in February of that year, resulting in 53 deaths, numerous injuries, and extensive property damage across the region. The unrest emerged amid civil unrest and has since led to multiple court cases and convictions.
Following his involvement in these cases, Hussain was suspended by the Aam Aadmi Party after his name surfaced in connection with the riots.
