Desk Report,
Corona did not spread at Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has said that the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin, Delhi is not responsible for the spread of coronavirus in 2020. The High Court has given this verdict by dismissing the case filed by the Delhi Police. In this, Tablighi Jamaat has been acquitted after a long five years.
Corona did not spread at Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin: Delhi High Court
The High Court has dismissed all 16 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by the Delhi Police against 70 Indians. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said that the Delhi Police could not prove any of the allegations.
On March 25, 2020, a sudden lockdown was announced across the country to combat coronavirus. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy had told Parliament that the Tablighi Jamaat had spread coronavirus in Delhi. The Tablighi Jamaat was held in Nizamuddin in violation of the central government’s orders. The participants of the Tablighi Jamaat had claimed their innocence from the beginning. However, the Delhi Police did not accept it. The names of 195 foreign nationals were also mentioned in the 16 FIRs. They had come to India to join the Tablighi Jamaat at that time. The chargesheet named 70 Indians. They were charged with criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. Some of them had given shelter to the participants of the Jamaat in their homes.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, in her verdict, dismissed all the charges brought by the Delhi Police and said that it was an intolerable situation. All those accused were helpless and forced to remain under house arrest. She also said that people were forced to live in Markaz. The charges against them of violating the ban do not stand up to scrutiny.
The Covid pandemic did not come with advance notice. The Tablighi Jamaat was held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area on March 9 and 10. 9,000 devotees from different countries of the world, including Bangladesh, came to Delhi to attend the Jamaat. On March 13, the Delhi Police imposed restrictions to prevent crowding. A lockdown was announced on March 25. Many of the Tablighi Jamaat participants were still in Delhi. Several of them were foreigners. A section of the central ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blamed the Tablighi Jamaat for the spread of coronavirus. Delhi Police also filed an FIR against the participants of the Jamaat. Even before that step, hatred and enmity against minorities had started spreading. That political campaign also went on for a long time. Demands for a social boycott of Muslims were also raised from some political quarters.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had filed a case under various sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. Seven people were also booked under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Chargesheets were also filed against 955 foreign nationals under the Foreigners Act, 1946. They were accused of not complying with visa conditions. Of them, 911 approached the magistrate. Later, 28 more FIRs were filed in different police stations of Delhi.
While dismissing the case, Delhi High Court Justice Neena Bansal Krishna asked the Delhi Police to counter-inquire that the lockdown was suddenly announced. In that situation, where could the stranded people, including foreign nationals, leave the shelter? How could they have gone? He said, the accused did not violate any section of the Emergency Act or the Disaster Management Act. There was also no evidence that they had committed any crime.
