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Tablighi Jamaat: HC asks Centre, Delhi govt to respond to foreigners’ plea on alternative accommodation
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, the Delhi government and the city police on a plea by several foreign nationals of the
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre, the Delhi government and the city police on a plea by several foreign nationals of the Tablighi Jamaat, who participated in the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz event during the Covid-19 lockdown, seeking permission to add three more alternative accommodations for them.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government and police and posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.
The application had sought modification of the court’s May 28 order, seeking to include three more alternative accommodation for the foreign nationals connected to Tablighi Jamaat in light of ongoing criminal proceedings.
On May 28, the high court had directed that 955 foreign nationals, who had participated in the Markaz, be shifted from institutional quarantine centres, where they were kept since March 30 despite testing negative for Covid-19, to nine alternative accommodations.
The plea, filed through advocates Mandakini Singh and Ashima Mandla, said that during the course of the month, 65 foreign nationals housed at Meeraj International School have faced discomfort with the arrangements there. It said the community is praying for permission to immediately shift the 65 foreign nationals from Meeraj International School to Texan Public School in Maujpur, a new accommodation suggested by them.
The high court had on May 28 disposed of two petitions filed by different foreign nationals seeking to be shifted to alternative accommodation and stating that the financial burden will be borne by the community, Tablighi Jamaat. It warned that they should not shift to any other location without Delhi Police’s permission.
The Delhi police had in March registered a case against th top management of Tabhighi Jamaat for allegedly defying government orders to contain the spread of Covid-19. Police had said that despite the government placing restriction on gatherings, members of the religious group, including many foreigners had gathered for a congregation inside their headquarters.
