Delhi High Court Today (July 17) cancelled 16 cases against 70 Indians accused of sheltering foreign Tablighi Jamaat members during the 2020 lockdown. The court said, “Chargesheets quashed”, giving relief after years of legal battle.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court cancelled 16 FIRs (First Information Reports) filed against 70 Indian citizens who were accused of giving shelter to foreign nationals linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event held in 2020.
This gathering happened during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the cases were part of a major controversy at that time.
The judgment was given by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who passed the order in favour of the petitioners.
The Court clearly stated:
“Chargesheets quashed.”
This means the legal cases and formal charges filed by the police have now been cancelled. A full and detailed court order is still awaited.
In total, 16 FIRs were registered by Delhi Police. These reports named 70 Indian people as accused. The allegation was that these people gave shelter to more than 190 foreign nationals who were part of the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation during the COVID-19 lockdown in India.
Because of this, the accused were charged under several Indian laws, including:
- The Indian Penal Code (IPC)
- The Epidemic Diseases Act
- The Disaster Management Act
- The Foreigners Act
Delhi Police claimed that the accused broke lockdown rules and other emergency guidelines by allowing foreigners to stay in their homes or premises. According to the police, this act was a violation of government orders meant to stop the spread of coronavirus.
- The legal battle was taken up by Advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh, who represented the 70 petitioners in the case. They argued that the FIRs were unjust and should be dismissed.
- On the other side, the Delhi Police was represented by Additional Standing Counsel (ASC) Amol Sinha, along with lawyers Kshitiz Garg, Nitish Dhawan, Rahul Kochar, Chavi Lazarus, and Sanskriti Nimbekar.
CASE TITLE:
MOHD ANWAR & ORS. vs STATE NCT OF DELHI & Other Connected Matters.
Would You Like Assistance In Drafting A Legal Notice Or Complaint?
CLICK HERE
Click Here to Read Our Reports on CJI BR Gavai
Click Here to Read Our Reports on COVID-19
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
