E-Paper
Court allows eight foreign Jamaat attendees to be sent back
New Delhi:
New Delhi:
A Delhi court on Friday allowed the deportation of eight foreigners, who were discharged of charges of being negligent and attending a Tablighi Jamaat congregation here in March this year in violation of the government guidelines issued in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic that has broken out at that time.
Additional sessions judge Sandeep Yadav allowed the foreigners’ petition, seeking deportation to their countries and imposed certain conditions on them. The judge directed the investigating officer (IO) to facilitate expeditious closure of the lookout circulars (LoC) against them.
The court, however, said the foreigners would have to come back to join the proceedings if a revision petition challenging their discharge is allowed by the court.
The judge directed them to deposit Rs 30,000 as surety amount and submit their names, phone numbers and email address to the IO before leaving the country.
On August 24, a magistrate court had discharged the eight foreign nationals of all the charges under which they were charge sheeted in the absence of any record or credible material against them. The city police, however, had challenged this order, which is pending adjudication.
While discharging them, the court had directed that the passports of all of them should be released.
Advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh had filed a application, stating that though the foreigners were discharged of all charges and their passports were released, necessary orders directing deportation and closure of LoCs against them were not granted.
According to the application, the Supreme Court had on October 15 granted them liberty to move a formal application before the trial court for deportation as per the law.
They foreign nationals were charge sheeted under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
They were also booked under section 51 (obstruction) Disaster Management Act, section 14 (1) (b) (violation of visa norms) of Foreigners Act and Section 3 (disobeying regulation) of Epidemic Diseases Act.
