Tablighi Jamaat: HC seeks Centre, police’s response on foreigners’ pleas to quash FIRs

The Delhi high court Friday sought the response of the Centre and the Delhi Polie on pleas by 24 foreigners seeking the quashing of FIRs against them for attending

The Delhi high court Friday sought the response of the Centre and the Delhi Polie on pleas by 24 foreigners seeking the quashing of FIRs against them for attending a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in south Delhi’s Nizamuddin in March and allegedly carrying out missionary activities in violation of visa norms and breaching the prevalent Cvoid-19 restrictions.

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Justice Anuj Jairam Bhambhani asked the authorities to file their status reports before the next date of hearing, August 10.

The court was informed senior advocate Rebecca John that these 24 foreigners, who have filed two separate petitions, have already admitted their guilt in the FIR lodged by the crime branch of Delhi Police and pleaded for lenient punishment under the provisions of plea bargaining.

John told the court that they were allowed to walk free on payment of varying fines and pleading guilty for minor offences related to the Covid-19 lockdown violations. However, they are not able to return to their countries due to the pendency of other FIRs lodged at the Seelampur police station.

She contended that the police cannot lodge separate FIRs for the same alleged offence and they are unable to go back due to look out circulars (LOCs) against them. She said while the first FIR was lodged on March 31, this second FIR by the Seelampur police was registered on April 1, as they were staying in a masjid there and the police then took them to a quarantine centre.

The petitioners have sought quashing of two FIRs registered at police station Seelampur under various sections of IPC and the Epidemic Diseases Act.

The petitioners said the FIRs registered at Seelampur are untenable in law in light of foreign nationals having entered plea bargaining.

At least 9,000 people, including the foreign nationals participated in the religious congregation in Nizamuddin. Later, the tablighi headquarters became a Covid-19 hot spot many of the attendees had by then travelled to various parts of the country.