New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed certain portions of Nizamuddin Markaz, where the Tablighi Jamaat congregation was held in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and which has remained shut since then, to stay open till October 14 — beyond Ramzan.
Justice Jasmeet Singh, while dealing with a plea by the Delhi Waqf Board, extended the interim order passed last month on re-opening certain portions of the Markaz premises in view of Ramzan and the festival of Eid.
The Board had moved the court in 2021 seeking directions to reopen the premises on grounds that even after unlock-1 guidelines permitted religious places outside containment zones to be opened, the Markaz comprising the Masjid Bangle Wali (mosque), Madarsa Kashif-ul-Uloom, and attached hostel continues to be locked up.
On April 1, the court had allowed the mosque to be opened for the month of Ramzan while clarifying that no "Tablighi activities" and lectures can be take place in the premises and only prayers can be offered.
"It is directed that for Ramadan, namaz and religious prayers shall be permitted to be offered on the ground floor and four floors at Masjid Bangle Wali. This arrangement is only for the one month of Ramzan culminating with Eid Ul Fitr," the court had ordered.
A direction was also passed for the installation of functional CCTV cameras at the entry, exit and stairs of each floor of the premises.
The permission was in continuation of an earlier order which imposed various conditions for the reopening of the premises on the occasion of Shab-e-Bharat in the month of March.