Suspended Aam Admi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Monday for his alleged role in money laundering, funding of anti-CAA protests and organising riots in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
The central anti-money laundering agency arrested him under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, (PMLA) and has secured six days custodial remand from a local court. The PMLA investigation of the ED is based on multiple FIRs registered by Crime Branch and Dayalpur police station of Delhi Police under various sections of Indian PenalCode which are scheduled offences under PMLA.
The ED probe has thrown up evidence of alleged shell companies owned and controlled by Hussain and his relatives where huge amounts of money has been transferred to dubious entities and entry operators which was returned by them in cash.
“The cash received by Tahir Hussain through entry operators was used to fuel the anti-CAA protests and Delhi riots,” said ED officials. Investigations also reveal involvement of Hussain and his companies in laundering of money in the past as well.
The ED had conducted searches at the residential and business premises of Hussain, his relatives and associates in Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida on June 23. “These search operations had led to the recovery of incriminating documents and evidences, including fake invoices, which were used for the fraudulent transfer of money,” said an ED statement .
Over the past few days, Hussain has been interrogated by ED officers in Tihar Jail while under arrest by Delhi Police. Subsequently, he was arrested by the ED under PMLA for his alleged role in money laundering and has been taken to the ED office for custodial interrogation.
It may be recalled that communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after supporters of the citizenship law clashed with people protesting against it, leaving more than 50 dead and 200 injured.
