2020 Delhi Riots: Court Finds Tahir Hussain Allowed Mob to Stone-Pelt from His Terrace

A Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain of abetment to rioting in a case linked to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots, holding that he allowed a mob to use his building’s terrace to throw stones at passers-by and nearby properties.

Additional Sessions Judge Parveen Singh convicted Hussain under Sections 147 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code, relating to rioting and abetment. The court said the prosecution proved that between 2 pm and 3 pm on February 24, 2020, a mob gathered on the terrace of Hussain’s house on Main Karawal Nagar Road and pelted stones.

The judgment relied on statements from four witnesses who described the crowd and stone-pelting. None identified Hussain as a member of the mob. The court considered his statement that rioters had been present on the terrace. Hussain had claimed they forcibly entered his house and that he could not stop them, while saying he had contacted the police control room.

The court rejected the allegations against Hussain, including rioting while armed with deadly weapons, theft, property damage, arson and criminal trespass. It said the prosecution had not established that he armed or instigated the mob or abetted the looting and burning of nearby shops. The judge noted inconsistencies in some witness statements and said video footage collected during the investigation had not been proved at trial.

The court acquitted the 12 co-accused, finding the evidence insufficient to establish their guilt. Hussain’s case has been listed for arguments on the quantum of sentence on November 16, 2026.

This is Hussain’s second conviction linked to the riots. In a case concerning the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma, a Delhi court sentenced him and four others to life imprisonment on July 31, 2026. Hussain has challenged that conviction in the Delhi High Court, which listed his appeal alongside connected appeals for December 2.

The February 2020 northeast Delhi riots left 53 people dead and caused extensive damage to property.