Supreme Court to Hear Interim Bail Plea of Ex-AAP Councilor Tahir Hussain on Jan 28

New Delhi- The Supreme Court will hear next week a plea for interim bail filed by former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, who is accused in the 2020 Delhi riots. Hussain is seeking release to campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta will take up Hussain's petition on January 28, according to the Supreme Court's website. This hearing follows a split verdict by a two-judge bench earlier this week. Justice Pankaj Mithal dismissed Hussain's plea, while Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah was inclined to grant him interim bail, citing his four-year incarceration.

AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, has fielded Hussain as a candidate in Mustafabad.

The Supreme Court had previously sought a response from the Delhi Police regarding Hussain's long incarceration, suggesting it could entitle him to regular bail. Justice Amanullah had stated, "Suppose we are satisfied on merit that a ground is made for considering regular bail, why should we not grant him? We can’t shut our eyes to that."

The Delhi High Court had earlier denied Hussain's interim bail plea but granted him parole to file his nomination papers. This parole restricts Hussain from using phones or the internet, interacting with anyone outside the nomination process, and addressing the media.

The Supreme Court will hear Tahir Hussain's interim bail plea on January 28, 2022. The court will consider arguments from both sides, including the Delhi Police's concerns that Hussain could influence witnesses if released.