New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Tuesday filed 20 chargesheets against 82 foreign nationals belonging to 20 different countries in its investigation so far into the event organised by the Tablighi Jamaat at its markaz (centre) in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area in March.
More than 900 foreign nationals who are accused in this case belong to 34 different countries. Chargesheets have been filed under sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946, The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, The Disaster Management Act, 2005, and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the status report submitted by DCP Crime, Joy Tirkey, the passports and the copies of the visa application forms of these foreign participants at the congregation show they had obtained tourist visas or e-visas to come to India.
So far, more than 900 foreign Tablighi Jamaat attendees have joined the investigation and were served notices under 41.A of the CrPC to assure their appearance before police.
The 916 foreign nationals, who participated in the religious congregation, have been held in institutional quarantine since March 30 despite being tested negative for Covid-19. Police, in its status report, said so far they have not arrested or detained any one. The investigation is happening on a day-to-day basis.
All these foreign nationals were asked to fill a questionnaire, in which they admitted in writing that they arrived in India on a tourist or e-visa, police said. This is a violation of the visa norms.
As per the visa manual, a tourist visa is for foreigners whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight-seeing, casual visit to meet friends or relatives, attend a short term yoga programme, short duration medical treatment. Apart from that no other activity should be carried out on tourist visa.
The police also stated in its status report that passports of 723 foreigners and identity cards of 23 Nepal nationals have been taken into the possession.
Police also said in its report that around 1,300 members of the Jamaat from various states as well as foreign countries, were found residing at Markaz in Nizamuddin without maintaining any social distancing with each other.
The congregation, held in mid-March before the lockdown was announced, had led to a major cluster of coronavirus cases.
Maulana Mohd. Saad, and other management of Markaz had “deliberately, wilfully, negligently and malignantly committed acts which were in direct contravention to the lawful directions of the government and public servants as mentioned above,” the report alleged.
The police have also said that the SHO of the Nizamuddin station had issued a detailed regulation for coronavirus on March 12. On March 21, police contacted the authorities of Markaz and spoken to one Mufti Shahzad and told them about the situation.
“He was directed to send the foreigner devotees back to their respective countries and other Indian persons to their respective native places,” reads the report.
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