36 foreigners who were facing trial for allegedly flouting COVID-19 and visa norms whilst attending a Tablighi Jamaat event at the Nizamuddin Markaz during the early phases of the lockdown in March were acquitted by a Delhi court on Tuesday.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Saket Court, Arun Kumar Garg slammed the Station House Officer of the Hazrat Nizamuddin station, Inspector Mukesh Walia, for lapses in the identification of the accused in the Tablighi Jamaat even. Garg observed that the prosecution failed to “prove the presence of accused inside the Markaz premises” and noted “contradictions” in statements by its witnesses.
As per a report, the court noted, “The SHO was aware of the actual number of persons gathered at Markaz since the beginning and still failed to take any timely measures to ensure dispersal of the said gatherings despite being aware of government guidelines.”