Police invokes culpable homicide charges against Tablighi chief; Look Out Circular against 1,900

Delhi Police has invoked charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Kandhalvi and others in connection with the mid-March religious gathering in the National capital that led to the spread of COVID-19.

Police has also issued a Look Out Circular against 1,890 followers of Tablighi Jamaat for visa violations to ensure that they do not leave the country.

Investigators have also issued fresh notices to Maulana Saad and 16 others to join the probe. Eleven of them, including Maulana Saad, have not joined probe citing they are on home quarantine.

Over 2,300 people were evacuated from Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in south Delhi's Nizamuddin late in March after reports emerged that those who left the National capital for their home states and their contacts have contracted COVID-19. A large number of COVID-19 cases were traced back to the mid-March religious gathering of the Tablighi Jamaat.

Earlier, Maulana Saad was traced to his Zakir Nagar residence in south-east Delhi.

According to the FIR registered on March 31, Maulana Saad and officials Dr Zeeshan, Mufti Shehzad, M Saifi, Younus, Mohd Salman and Mohd Ashraf were named as the accused.

The case registered under Epidemic Diseases Act and Sections 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.

They were accused of organising the religious gathering and allowing visitors to continue living in the campus despite instructions from the authorities. Police are also looking into the veracity of an audio clip in which Maulana Saad is purportedly heard saying there was no need to fear COVID-19 and insisting that there was no need to obey the instructions.

Police said they had asked the Tablighi Jamaat authorities to ensure social distancing in its campus. On its part, the Tablighi Jamaat said it had no new visitors after the lockdown was imposed in the country and all inmates were stuck inside the campus due to the restrictions imposed by the government. It had also claimed that it had sought government help to transport these people out of Delhi.

Early in April, the Ministry of Home Affairs had revoked the tourist visas of 960 foreigners belonging to Tablighi Jamaat, which is linked to a surge in COVID-19 cases, and put them in a blacklist for indulging in missionary activities by violating the norms.

The MHA also directed Delhi Police and Directors General of Police of other states to take necessary legal action against 960 foreigners for violating the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.