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Mumbai: 10 Indonesian nationals who attended Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi granted bail
Earlier on Monday, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court had denied bail to the 10 Indonesian nationals, who were arrested in early April.
The Mumbai city civil and sessions court on Friday granted bail to 10 Indonesian nationals, who were arrested for deliberately withholding information about their participation at the Islamic sect Tablighi Jamaat’s international congregation held at Nizamuddin in Delhi between March 13 and March 15 amid the looming spectre of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
Earlier on Monday, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court had denied bail to the 10 Indonesian nationals, who were arrested in early April.
They moved the sessions court after they were denied bail by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court.
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Lawyer Ishrat Khan, who appeared on behalf of the 10 Indonesian nationals, pleaded that charges of attempt to murder and culpable homicide not amounting to murder levelled against his clients don’t hold good. The court was also furnished with the medical reports that showed all 10 of them had tested negative for Covid-19.
Public prosecutor Ramesh Shiroya objected to the plea on the ground that the accused did not abide by the authorities’ order to voluntarily disclose their participation in the Jamaat meet.
The prosecution also argued that they were aware of the viral outbreak in their country, as some of their compatriots were infected by SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, by the time they had arrived in India.
The court, however, accepted the defence lawyer argument and granted bail to the 10 Indonesian nationals.
Altogether, 12 Indonesian nationals, six men and six women, had taken part in the Nizamuddin meet in March, and then came to Mumbai. They were staying at an apartment in Bandra, as per the complaint registered with Bandra police station on April 1.
Of the 12 Indonesian nationals, two had tested Covid-19 positive and their quarantine period was to end on Friday.
Khan moved for their pre-arrest bail on Friday and the court has granted them an interim relief before the next hearing on Monday.
