India, March 21 -- A Delhi court has directed state authorities to ensure that former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor and northeast Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain undergoes surgery for an inguinal hernia within 15 days, and that all post-operative care is provided to him both at the hospital and in prison while he remains in judicial custody.

The order was passed by additional sessions judge (ASJ) Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma courts on Friday, who simultaneously denied him month-long interim bail on medical grounds, citing the nature and seriousness of the offence.

The court said the state was "duty-bound" to provide him medical treatment with utmost urgency.

ASJ Singh observed that merely because the surgery was not urgent and...