Delhi court convicts former AAP councillor for abetting Dayalpur riot, clears 12 co‑accused

A Delhi court found former AAP council member Tahir Hussain guilty of abetting a riot in the Dayalpur area of northeast Delhi. Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh sentenced him under Section 147 (rioting) read with Section 109 (abetment) of the IPC, while clearing him of all other accusations. The judge set November 16 for arguments on the length of his punishment, and the detailed order is still pending. The case involved thirteen accused: Tahir 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 were charged with rioting, property damage, arson‑related mischief and criminal conspiracy. The court acquitted the twelve co‑accused of every charge, and convicted the former councillor on two counts while dropping the rest. In July, the same court had convicted Hussain and four others for the killing of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 riots. The FIR was filed at Dayalpur police station after a complaint by Sharma’s father, Ravinder Kumar. Following the allegations, AAP suspended Hussain from the party. The 2020 northeast Delhi riots left 53 dead, many injured and widespread damage to homes and businesses.

Context

Section 147 deals with rioting, and Section 109 covers helping another commit a crime. AAP is a Delhi‑based political party that often removes members facing criminal charges. Court verdicts like this can affect public trust in both the legal system and political parties.