Delhi court grants bail to 82 Bangladeshi Tablighi Jamaat congregation attendees

A Delhi court on Friday granted bail to 82 Bangladeshi nationals who participated in the Markaz Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin area, which had reportedly become an epicentre of COVID-19 spread in the country.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur granted bail to the 82 Bangladeshi nationals on furnishing personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each.

Advocates Ashima Mandla, Mandakini Singh and Fahim Khan appeared for Bangladeshi nationals. The plea bargaining application will be filed by tomorrow, the lawyers said.

Plea bargaining is an arrangement between the prosecutor and the defendant, in which the accused pleads guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a lenient sentence or an agreement to drop other charges.

The Bangladeshi nationals had appeared before the court today through video conferencing in pursuance of summons issued against them. They have been duly identified by the concerned official of concern High Commissions as well as investigating officer.

The court had recently taken cognisance of various charge sheets filed against 956 foreign nationals who attended the Nizamuddin congregation.

According to the Delhi Police, the investigation related to the 956 foreign nationals is complete in the case and each of the foreign national has been found to have independently committed the offence for which he or she has been charge-sheeted.

Investigation Officer categorically specified that no evidence has come against the foreign nationals concerned under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and hence they have not been charge-sheeted for the abovesaid offences.

Delhi Police said that the charge sheet against the Bangladeshi nationals has been filed under relevant Sections of the Foreigners Act, 1946, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which are independent of the other offences which were added during the investigation of the source FIR.

( With inputs from ANI )