Chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ reverberated outside the courtroom on Wednesday pursuant to hearing on an anticipatory bail application moved by suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain. Anticipating arrest, Hussain had moved a bail application on Tuesday.

After hearing his application today, District and Session Judge Sudhir Kumar Jain directed concerned SIT officer probing the case, to come with the case file and posted the matter for Thursday at 12.30 pm.

Following the pronouncement of order, a flurry of advocates chanted the slogans outside the courtroom.

Hussain was suspended from the primary membership of his party AAP on Thursday evening, after he was charged with murder and arson in connection with the death of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) employee Ankit Sharma, whose body was found in a drain near his home in Jafrabad, where riots took place over citizenship law protests.

Hussain, who is absconding, has been in the eye of a major controversy for his alleged involvement in the recent violence in Delhi’s northeast area and the killing of an Intelligence Bureau (IB) staffer whose body was recovered from a drain near his house.

Delhi Police registered an FIR under IPC Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) against Hussain. The FIR, which was registered Thursday at Dayalpur police station, was based on allegations by 25-year-old Sharma’s family that Hussain was linked to the incident.

Ankit Sharma was allegedly attacked by a mob and stabbed to death on his way home on February 25. The post-mortem report, released on February 27, indicated multiple stab wounds across his body. After the body was found on Wednesday, his father Ravinder Sharma, who is also an IB employee, alleged supporters of Hussain had killed his son. He further alleged his son had been shot after he was beaten.

He was also suspended by Delhi’s ruling AAP last week for his alleged involvement in the murder and arson. Hussain will remain suspended until the charges against him are investigated and he is cleared.

He has, however, denied any involvement in the riots or the murder of the IB staffer.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Hussain said, “I am very sad to hear about the death of IB officer Ankit Sharma. He should get justice. I am not involved in this incident. There should be a thorough investigation of this matter.”