Delhi riots: ED granted custody of Tahir Hussain for six days

A Delhi court on Friday sent suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain to six days Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with an alleged case of money laundering related to the Delhi riots. Police have accused Hussain of hatching a conspiracy to orchestrate the riots, and of arranging funds for the same.

The six-day custody order came after the agency moved the court seeking 14 days remand. In its remand application, the ED alleged Hussain had laundered money and also accused him of cheating, falsification of documents and criminal conspiracy.

The ED told the court they had conducted searches at various premises and seized several incriminating documents. It said it had recorded statements of various persons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and WhatsApp chats, bogus invoices and other incriminating documents have been recovered.

“Accused has entered into a criminal conspiracy by fraudulently transferring money from the accounts of many company. The money so obtained are proceeds of crime which were then used for committing other various scheduled offences,” the ED said while also contending that the accused has not co-operated in the investigation and has been evasive in his replies.

The agency is probing Hussain’s role in allegedly mobilising funds during the riots in February. Police and ED have accused Hussain of laundering around Rs 1.10 crore using shell companies to fuel protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the riots. Police have said Hussain mobilised funds to buy ammunition and get more rioters.