No arrests in Tablighi Jamaat case: Delhi Police tells HC

May 26, 2020 15:32

The police told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that it has neither arrested nor detained anyone in the case lodged against members of Tablighi Jamaat for participating in the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The court sought the response of Delhi Police and the AAP government on a plea seeking release of 916 foreign nationals, who participated in the event and are being held in institutional quarantine since March 30 despite having tested negative for COVID-19.

It was hearing a petition filed by 20 of the 916 foreigners who said the continued detention violates the very fabric of liberty.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar, conducting the hearing through video conferencing, was also informed that more than 900 foreign Tablighi Jamaat attendees, including the petitioners, have joined investigation of the case and were served notices under the CrPC. Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra and advocate Chaitanya Gosain said the investigation is being conducted on a day-to-day basis and the police will file a charge sheet in the case before the concerned trial court within a week.

During the hearing, senior advocate Rebecca John and lawyer Ashima Mandla, appearing for the petitioners, urged that all foreign nationals who have tested negative for the virus be released from institutional quarantine to alternate accommodations, factoring social distancing.

The counsel said they will submit places of alternate accommodation during the day and the costs and expenditure of the alternate accommodation will be borne by the community . They said the authorities will inspect the accommodation and will file a status report before the court which will hear the matter on Thursday.

The court also took on record two status reports filed by Delhi Police and the concerned SDM who said the Department of Revenue (Delhi) has not kept these foreign nationals under any type of custody and it is just looking after them and providing all possible facilities.

The police, in its status report, said the menace and hazard of COVID-19 viral infection during large gatherings was verbally conveyed to Maulana Mohd Saad and the management of Markaz on several occasions, including during meetings held in the police station in March in this regard. -- PTI

Image: Crime Branch of Delhi Police files 20 charge sheets against 83 foreign nationals, in Saket court, in connection with Tablighi Jamaat case.

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