'Had clear-cut objective to harm Hindus': Court on ex-AAP councillor's role in 2020 Delhi riots

The court while hearing a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) said Hussain's clear-cut objective was to harm Hindus, reported India Today.

"Tahir Hussain, Shah Alam, Nazim, Kasim, Riyasat and Liyakat are liable to be tried for offences u/s 505, 307, 120b and 149 of the Indian Penal Code, in respect of incident related to Ajay Goswami," the court ruled, according to the report.

"Tahir Hussain, Shah Alam, Nazim, Kasim, Riyasat and Liyakat were instigating others to teach a lesson to Hindus and not to leave them. There is no statement to show if other accused namely Gulfam and Tanvir were also making statements to instigate other Muslims to attack on Hindus," said the Court of sessions judge Pulastya Paramachala, it stated.

"Thus, I hold that a charge be framed against the accused Tahir Hussain for the offence under Section 3 (offence of money laundering) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act," the Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat said, the report said.

"I am of the view that there is sufficient material on record, prima facie, creating grave suspicion against the accused for framing charges against him and to proceed further with the trial," the judge added further.

Massive violence broke out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020 after violence between Citizenship Law supporters and protesters broke loose.

At least 53 people were killed in the communal violence and around 700 were injured.