Malaysian who attended Tablighi congregation found to be minor

The juvenile, a Malaysian national, had moved a plead guilty application before metropolitan magistrate Siddharth Malik who transferred the matter to the chief metropolitan magistrate Gurmohina Kaur.

Finding that one of the Malaysian nationals who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin in March was a minor, a Delhi court directed the city police to file a separate charge sheet before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) against the person.

By Friday, 121 Malaysians had been freed after accepting a plea bargain and agreeing to pay a ₹7,000 fine. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The juvenile, a Malaysian national, had moved a plead guilty application before metropolitan magistrate Siddharth Malik who transferred the matter to the chief metropolitan magistrate Gurmohina Kaur. The court, after perusing the passport, said that the person was 16 years old.

An official of Malaysian High Commission, through video conferencing, confirmed this to the court.

“Accordingly, let the charge sheet be separated and be filed before the concerned Juvenile Justice Board. IO is directed to file the separate charge sheet by Monday, July 13 as per law on completion of necessary formalities. Application disposed off accordingly,” said the court.

By Friday, 121 Malaysians had been freed after accepting a plea bargain and agreeing to pay a ₹7,000 fine. The police had filed charge sheets against 956 foreigners from 36 countries, including 122 Mayalsians, for violating visa rules, violating government guidelines issued in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and regulations regarding Epidemic diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and prohibitory orders under section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure.