Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councilor Tahir Hussain has moved the Delhi High Court seeking interim bail in the Delhi riots case to contest the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections as a candidate for the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
The matter, listed before Justice Neena Krishna Bansal on Friday, was not taken up and is likely to be heard on Monday. Hussain, who has been in judicial custody since March 16, 2020, is accused in a case related to the death of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma, who was killed during the February 2020 riots in Delhi.
In his petition, Hussain requested interim bail from January 14 to February 9 to participate in the election process, including filing his nomination and conducting a campaign for the Mustafabad constituency. He emphasized that the relief is essential to ensure his active involvement in the democratic process.
Hussain noted that his regular bail application is already pending before the High Court and is scheduled for a hearing on January 15. However, with the deadline for filing nominations on January 17 and elections slated for February 5, interim bail is necessary to facilitate his participation in the electoral process.
The petition argued that granting interim bail would enable voters in Mustafabad to exercise their electoral rights meaningfully. “The applicant’s presence is critical for filing nominations and canvassing in the elections,” the plea stated.
Hussain also highlighted that he faces charges in nine other riot-related cases but has already secured bail in all of them, leaving this as the only pending case preventing his release.
The petition, filed through advocates Tara Narula, Sonia Sarda, Shivangi Sharma, and Noyonika, urged the court to consider the urgency of the matter and uphold Hussain’s constitutional right to contest elections and his constituents’ right to have a representative of their choice.
