A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court granted custody parole to Delhi Riots accused and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, now an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate, to campaign for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The parole is applicable in all cases where Hussain has not yet secured bail.
The six-day custody parole is effective from January 29 to February 3, with strict conditions imposed. Hussain will be allowed to leave jail during the daytime under security escort and must return to custody each night.
The Bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol, and Sandeep Mehta, passed the order after a Division Bench failed to reach a consensus on whether to grant Hussain interim bail. Earlier in the day, the Bench had asked the Delhi government to provide details on the cost and deployment of security personnel required if custody parole was granted instead of interim bail.
Later in the afternoon, after considering the Delhi government’s input, the Bench approved custody parole despite strong objections from Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, who represented the Delhi Police.
The parole order allows Hussain to campaign for the AIMIM in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, marking a significant development amidst the ongoing legal cases against him.
