The New Indian Express : May 27, 2020, 08:55 AM
NEW DELHI: The Crime Branch of Delhi Police on Tuesday filed 20 charge-sheets against 82 foreign nationals in a Saket district court in connection with the congregation at Markaz Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin area of the national capital.The charge-sheets were filed before the court of Duty Metropolitan Magistrate Saema Jamil in connection with the congregation, which had reportedly emerged as an epicentre for the spread of coronavirus in the country.The matter was listed for consideration of 15,449-pages of charge-sheets on June 12.According to the charge-sheets, 14 of the foreign nationals are from Fiji, 10 from Saudi Arabia, eight from Algeria, seven each from Brazil and China, six each from Sudan and Philippines, five from the USA, four from Afghanistan, two each from Australia, Kazakhstan, Morocco and the UK and one each from Ukraine, Egypt, Russia, Belgium, Jordan, France and Tunisia.Sources in Delhi Police have said that 14 other charge-sheets will be filed in the matter soon.The charge-sheets have been filed under Section 14 (b) Foreigners Act, 1946, Section 3 of The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and 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), 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).All these foreign nationals are being charge-sheeted for violation of visa norms. The police said that they have already questioned all the foreign nationals who attended the congregation.