The Delhi high court on Thursday quashed 16 cases registered against 70 Indian nationals, accused of providing shelter to attendees of Tablighi Jamaat in their homes or mosques during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
“Chargesheets quashed,” justice Neena Bansal Krishna said while pronouncing the verdict. A detailed copy of the judgement is awaited.
The Delhi Police had initially charged the Indian nationals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including criminal conspiracy, Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act and Foreigners Act.
The police personnel had also named 195 foreign nationals. Most of the foreign nationals were not charge-sheeted nor the trial court had refused to take cognisance on the chargesheet, on the principles of double jeopardy.
The individuals had approached the high court seeking to quash the FIR’s in 2021, saying that the prohibitory orders only prohibited religious congregations and gatherings and they had only provided shelter to the attendees. They had further asserted that the FIR’s were unwarranted, concocted, untenable in law and they were compelled to face unwarranted and unsubstantiated charges, which was violative of their personal liberty.
The Delhi Police had opposed the petitions stating that the accused had not only violated prohibitory orders issued by the Delhi government but had also contributed to the spread of the disease.
{{/usCountry}}The Delhi Police had opposed the petitions stating that the accused had not only violated prohibitory orders issued by the Delhi government but had also contributed to the spread of the disease.
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