NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has granted custody parole to Tahir Hussain, an AIMIM candidate and accused in the 2020 Delhi riots, allowing him to campaign ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.
The court’s order permits Hussain to be released from jail for 12 hours daily from January 29 to February 3.
A three-judge bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath, allowed Hussain to campaign, provided he bears all expenses, including costs for a police escort, a jail van, and other related expenses, estimated at approximately Rs 2 lakh per day. Hussain will be released in accordance with jail manual timings, and must return to jail each evening.
The top court also instructed Hussain not to address the ongoing case against him or meet any witnesses during his parole. He has agreed to these terms and has committed to not visiting his residence, which police allege was the location where the criminal conspiracy was planned.
On January 22, Hussain’s plea for interim bail to campaign was initially met with a split verdict in the Supreme Court. Hussain, a former AAP councillor, was arrested in connection with the murder of Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.