Tablighi Jamaat: High Court asks Delhi govt, Centre to respond to foreigners' plea on alternate accommodation

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Delhi government, Centre and police to reply to a plea by several foreign nationals connected to Tablighi Jamaat, who participated in the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz event during the COVID-19 lockdown, seeking permission to add three more places of alternate accommodation for them.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government and Delhi Police and asked them to take instructions on the matter. The court, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, listed the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

The application sought modification in the court's May 28 order by seeking to include three more places of alternate accommodation for the foreign nationals connected to Tablighi Jamaat in light of ongoing criminal proceedings. On May 28, the high court had directed that 955 foreign nationals, who had participated in the Markaz, be shifted from institutional quarantine centres, where they were kept since March 30 despite testing negative for COVID-19, to nine alternate accommodations.

The plea, filed through advocates Mandakini Singh and Ashima Mandla, said that during the course of the month, 65 foreign nationals housed at Meeraj International School have faced discomfort with regard to the arrangements. It said the community is praying for permission to immediately shift these 65 foreign nationals to Texan Public School in Moujpur here, a new accommodation suggested by them.