All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to field 2020 Northeast Delhi riot case accused Shahrukh Pathan in the upcoming assembly elections, reports said on Wednesday.
The party, however, has not made any official statement on this.
AIMIM's Delhi unit president Shoaib Jamei told news agency PTI that the party is considering Pathan's name, but no decision has been made yet.
On Monday, Jamei had visited Pathan’s family in Delhi. Sharing a photo of the visit, the AIMIM leader also expressed solidarity with those he claimed were languishing in jail without trial.
At least 42 people died and several others were injured as violence over the amended citizenship law hit several areas of Northeast Delhi, including Jafrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar, Bhajanpura, Yamuna Vihar and Mustafabad in February 2022.
According to government’s estimates, 79 houses and 327 shops were completely gutted in arson.
A picture of Pathan pointing a country-made pistol at a police officer on the Jaffrabad-Maujpur road had gone viral on social platforms. He was arrested and has been in jail since then.
According to reports, Pathan is a college dropout who was interested in modelling and used to make Tik Tok videos.
Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due to be held in February next year. While the ruling AAP, which has been in power since 2015, looks at a third straight term, the BJP hopes for a strong comeback.