Suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain to be chargesheeted in Chand Bagh violence

New Delhi: Delhi Police will file its first chargesheet against suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain. The chargesheet will cover the violence and rioting that took place Chand Bagh area of north-east Delhi on February 24.

Top sources in the Special Investigation Team of crime branch said the case is based on the statement of witnesses and forensic evidence and the chargesheet will be filed in the next two days.

Those who will be named in the chargesheet include Tahir Hussain, his brother Shah Alam and 15 others. Allegations are that Tahir Hussain instigated his supporters to indulge in violence and rioting.

Post riots, a video of Tahir standing on the terrace and his aides throwing petrol bombs and acid bombs became viral on social media.

Tahir, however, has always denied the charge and claimed that he went on the terrace only to see the widespread clashes that have broken out in his neighbourhood.

He also claimed that, on February 23, he repeatedly called AAP leaders and senior Delhi Police officers to rescue him. At around 10:30 pm, he was finally taken out of his house.

Crime branch's investigation says that Tahir Hussain and his supporters had stockpiled improvised weapons like petrol bomb and acid bottles. "Acid bottles, which are used for commercial purposes, was taken from nearby factories and kept in the house. They had also kept hundreds of stones and petrol bombs on the terrace," said a senior officer of the crime branch. "The video also confirms our allegations. Instead of asking his supporters not to throw stones and petrol bombs, Tahir Hussain can be seen casually walking on the terrace," he added.

There are 50 witnesses who have recorded their statements. The Crime Branch has also heavily relied on forensic evidence. On February 28, SIT officers along with State Forensic Science Laboratory collected acid bottles, petrol bombs and stones from the terrace of Tahir Hussain's residence.

This is not the only case that the suspended AAP councillor is facing. There are ten separate cases registered against him in the Delhi riots.

He is also named as an accused in the murder of IB personnel Ankit Sharma. On a complaint given by Ankit's father, an FIR was filed against Tahir and he was booked for murder.

On February 25, Ankit had just stepped outside his house when a mob dragged him and took him to Tahir's house. He was mercilessly beaten up there for hours and later his body was thrown in the drain.

"Tahir allegedly instigated his supporters who killed Ankit," said a source in a crime branch. A probe is still on this case and it is expected that by end of this week a chargesheet will be filed against Tahir Hussain and others in the Ankit Sharma murder case.

Human rights activists and several students groups have openly criticised the probe of the Delhi Police in riots cases. Several students and PhD scholars from Jamia Milia Islamia University and JNU have been arrested and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The Delhi Police has also arrested two founding members of Pinjra Tod on the charge that they orchestrated the violence in the Capital starting from last December and finally organising a sit-in protest at Jaffarabad metro station which became a flashpoint and led to the riots.

Even former finance and home minister P Chidambaram had criticised the arrest of student's leaders. He had said, "It's condemnable that arrests are taking place during the lockdown. Where were they running away? It is all being done to put fear in the hearts and minds of students so that they don't raise voice or protest,".

Delhi witnessed it's worst riots in over three decades in February. Between February 23-26, communal clashes broke out in different parts of north-east Delhi. 53 people died and over a hundred others were injured