Enforcement Directorate Files Money Laundering Case Against Suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain

The Enforcement Directorate has booked Tahir Hussain, suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor and Popular Front of India on charges of money laundering and alleged funding of the recent riots in Delhi, officials said on March 11.

A case against Tahir Hussain, who is currently under arrest for his alleged connection with the Delhi violence and the murder of Ankit Sharma, has been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the agency.

Tahir Hussain, who is in the custody of Delhi Police, is expected to be arrested by the ED once his police custody is over.

Similar charges have also been pressed against the Popular Front of India (PFI) which is already facing a separate PMLA probe.

The officials said the ED has taken cognizance of FIRs filed by Delhi Police's Crime Branch to probe the alleged money laundering and routing of illegal funds by Hussain, PFI and others to purportedly sponsor riots that killed over 50 people in Delhi.

Sources have said the ED will also be looking into the source of income which Tahir Hussain allegedly received for 'inciting' violence in Delhi.

Tahir was arrested last week after he surrendered himself before the court.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that a building belonging to Tahir Hussain in Khajuri area of northeast Delhi was used for stone-pelting and hurling petrol bombs during violence in the northeast part of Delhi.

Recently, a team of Delhi Police collected evidence from the building owned by Tahir Hussain. Sources said that the team also recovered evidence in connection with Ankit Sharma, the Intelligence Bureau staffer's death.

Tahir Hussain, however, has denied all the allegations and claimed that he had reached out to the police several times that day to save his life during the violence.

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