Delhi violence: Court sends Tahir Hussain to 1-day police custody

A Delhi court Friday sent suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain to one-day police custody in connection with the recent communal violence in northeast Delhi.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Singh Rajawat sent Hussain to police remand for custodial interrogation after he was arrested by the police in a separate case, said his counsel Javed Ali.

This is the third case for which he has been arrested related to the violence.

The police had sought his custody for one day on the ground that it was to confront him with co-accused in the case and unearth the entire conspiracy related to rioting and communal violence.

Earlier, Hussain was sent to police custody for five days in connection with the alleged killing of Intelligence Bureau official Ankit Sharma during the communal violence in northeast Delhi.

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

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.