The Supreme Court (SC,) on the 5th of June, reviewed the cases of the Tablighi Jamaat, which took place in March and became the epicentre of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 infection.
The Central Government in an affidavit submitted to the SC regarding the development of the Tablighi Jamaat case denied the need of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.
The Central Government said, “Probe by Delhi Police Crime Branch into Tablighi Jamaat event at Nizamuddin Markaz at an advanced stage. It will be completed in time bound manner, hence plea for CBI probe does not merit any consideration,.”
The Delhi Police registered a case against the Tablighi Jamaat organisers for the event which resulted of a gathering of thousands of people at Nizamuddin’s Markaz mosque. The event which was held in March amid the out break of the Novel Coronavirus, including foreigners from Islamic countries, became the epicentre of the spread of the virus.
Speaking about the progress in investigation, the Central Government said, “Markaz authorities were apprised of the situation on the 21st of March itself and told to send foreign and domestic participants back to their respective places, but no one paid heed. An audio recording purportedly by Maulana Mohd Saad, head of Tablighi Jamaat, was found in circulation on social media platforms in which the speaker was heard asking his followers to defy the lockdown and social distancing and to attend the religious gathering of Markaz.”
The Government also clarified the visa issued to foreigners who attended the event and said, foreign Tablighi Jamat participants “clearly show” they obtained a tourist visa or eVisa on a false pretext.
In regard to this, the Ministry of Home Affairs, blacklisted as many as 1,700 of these foreign Tablighi participants.
Meanwhile, the SC ordered to seal Nizamuddin Basti and Markaz on the 5th of June, which emerged as hotspot for Coronavirus infection.
The Delhi Police, the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI are currently investigating the Tablighi Jamaat case.
Stay tuned for further updates.
