‘Objective was to harm Hindus': Court frames charges against ex-AAP councillor Hussain in 2020 Delhi riots 

New Delhi: In scathing observations, a Delhi court while framing charges against former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and others in the 2020 Delhi riots case, said all the accused targeted Hindus with an “objective to harm them in every possible manner”.

“The facts and evidence of this case show that a number of persons assembled at the house of Tahir Hussain. Some of them were equipped with firing weapons. Petrol bombs were also arranged, by accumulating the required materials in Hussain’s house. Stones were stored in sacks. All these things were used to target Hindus. Every member of the mob assembled there, participated in achieving this object i.e. to target Hindus.” read the order delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala.

“Such preparations made it look like the house was being used as a base. It shows that the mob was acting out of prior meeting of their mind and with a clear-cut objective in mind, to harm Hindus in every possible manner,” added the order.

The case pertains to a stone pelting incident that took place in 2020 on the police team by a mob outside the residence of Hussain. “Following the attack, the officers had to take steps in order to save their own lives,” judge Pulastya Pramachala observed.

The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of the statement of Constable Sangram Singh who said a riotous mob had pelted stones on Main Karawal Nagar Road, besides setting ablaze several vehicles in a nearby parking lot on 24 February, 2020.

While discharging former JNU student Umar Khalid and United Against Hate founder Khalid Saifi in a case linked to the riots, the court said that the charges against them pertained to the “umbrella conspiracy” or the larger conspiracy of the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

“As far as accused Khalid Saifi and Umar Khalid are concerned, I find that allegations made against them relate to umbrella conspiracy, rather than conspiracy peculiar to the incident investigated in this case,” Judge Pramachala said in an order passed on Saturday.

“Since, umbrella conspiracy i.e, larger conspiracy to incite riots in Delhi is already the subject matter of consideration in FIR (No.) 59/2020 therefore, these two accused are entitled for discharge in the present case,” the judge said in the order, uploaded on the court website on Monday.

The investigation of the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch.

The court, meanwhile, also directed that charges be framed against Hussain and others in another case related to an incident of rioting and arson in a banquet hall during the riots.

With inputs from agencies

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