Delhi court sends Tahir Hussain to 4-day police custody in IB officer murder case

A Delhi court Monday sent suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain to four-day police custody in connection with the alleged killing of Intelligence Bureau official Ankit Sharma during the recent communal violence in northeast Delhi.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Singh Rajawat sent Hussain for custodial interrogation after the police sought his custody for five days.

The judge said Hussain's custodial interrogation was required to unearth a larger conspiracy in the riots that led to massive loss of lives and property and identify other persons involved in the murder of Sharma.

Hussain was booked for his alleged role in the murder of the IB staffer during the communal riots in the city last month amid protests against the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

He was earlier arrested on March 5 and sent to police custody in another case related to rioting in northeast Delhi.

During the hearing, police told the court that Hussain needed to be confronted with other co-accused and unearth larger conspiracy in the case.

"Everything was done on his (Hussain) command," police claimed.

Advocate Javed Ali, appearing for Hussain, opposed the police custody saying it cannot be granted on the grounds that his confession has to be recorded and other accused involved in the case need to be identified.

Hussain has been booked under sections 365 (kidnapping), 302 (murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence or giving false information) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case of alleged murder of the IB official.

The ruling AAP had then suspended him for alleged involvement in the violence which has left at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.

The family of Sharma (26), who was found dead in a drain near his home in riot-hit Chand Bagh area, has accused Hussain of being behind the killing. On the complaint of Sharma's father, the police registered an FIR against Hussain.

The suspended AAP councillor has rejected the charge.

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control. Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at residents and police personnel.