Markaz case: Police file 12 chargesheets against 541 foreigners

The Delhi Police on Thursday filed 12 chargesheets in a Delhi court against 541 foreign nationals from three countries for attending Markaz at Nizamuddin in national capital by violating visa conditions, indulging in missionary activities illegally and violating Government guidelines, issued in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

The police filed the chargesheets before Metropolitan Magistrate Archana Beniwal who put up the matter for consideration of the charegsheets on June 25.

Till date 47 charge sheets have been filed against 915 foreign nationals in the case.

According to the chargesheet filed on Thursday, 42 of the accused are from Malaysia, 85 from different parts of Kyrgystan and 414 from different parts of Indonesia.

According to the chargesheets, all the foreign nationals have been booked for violating visa rules, violating government guidelines issued in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic and regulations regarding Epidemic diseases Act, Disaster Management Act and prohibitory orders under section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure.

They have also been for the offences under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Foreigners Act.

The Centre has cancelled their Visa and blacklisted them. The foreign nationals have not been arrested yet.

Earlier, the police had filed 20 charge sheets against 82 foreigners from 20 countries on Tuesday and 15 on Wednesday against 294 from 14 countries in the case.The 294 foreigners belonged to countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and several African nations.

Out of the 82 foreigners charge sheeted earlier, four of the accused were from Afghanistan, seven each from Brazil and China, five from US, two from Australia, Kajahstan, Morocco, UK, one each from Ukraine, Egypt, Russia, Jordan, France, Tunisia, Belgium, eight from Algeria, 10 from Saudi Arabia, 14 from Fiji and six each from Sudan and Philippines.

After being exposed to a large gathering in March amid the COVID-19 or coronavirus lockdown many members of Tablighi Jamaat from Markaz Hazrat Nizamuddin were taken out by the authorities and lodged in different quarantine centres in Delhi. Some of them were sent to the centres a few days later after being detained from various mosques.

The other members were directly taken to quarantine centres to contain the spread of COVID-19. At least 9,000 people, including the foreign nationals participated in the religious congregation in Nizamuddin. Later, many of the attendees travelled to various parts of the country.

According to police, these foreign nationals had entered India on tourist visa and had participated in the gathering at Markaz illegally.

Besides, violating the provisions of visa, these foreign nationals also led to a situation where a highly infectious disease Covid-19 infection spread and threatened the lives of the inmates and the general public at large.