Sj Desk
NEW DELHI: On Friday, police said that suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Shah is absconding a day after an FIR was lodged against him for the abduction and murder of a 26-year-old Intelligence Bureau (IB) official during the communal riots in northeast Delhi’s Chand Bagh.
The police said that Hussain, who was booked after IB official Ankit Sharma's family filed a complaint against him, has gone under hiding along with his family members and has switched off his cellphone. An investigator, with knowledge about the matter, said that the last location of his cellphone was near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, reported HT.
According to the officer, he most likely fled after the first information report (FIR) was registered at the Dayalpur police station. Five police teams, including the special cell and the anti-terror squad of the Delhi Police, are conducting raids at possible hideouts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and other adjoining states.
“We are questioning Hussain’s relatives, friends and neighbours to get clues about his whereabouts. Several raids were conducted till late evening (Friday) but he could not be found,” said an officer associated with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), asking not to be named.
On Thursday, Hussein had pleaded innocence and denied being involved in Sharma’s murder. He also said that he will cooperate with the police investigation. He said that he was at a relatives residence during the Delhi riots.
On Friday, a team of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) inspected the AAP leader's house in Chand Bagh and collected evidence that may help the probe. A senior FSL official said, “Petrol bombs (Molotov cocktail), empty bottles, stones and bricks were found on the terrace and inside Hussain’s house.”
Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said that if anyone from his political party were involved in the violence, they should be given “double punishment”.
