The Delhi Police Crime Branch has registered a case against Maulana Mohammad Saad, head of Nizamuddin Markaz where a religious event by Tablighi Jamaat became the hotspot of coronavirus pandemic.
The Markaz head, who has put himself in quarantine after scores of attendees tested positive, has been summoned by the Delhi Police under Section 91 in The Code Of Criminal Procedure. The police have asked Maulana Saad to furnish several details and documents as part of the investigation.
Saad has been asked to provide details of income tax returns filed by his organisation in the last three years, the number of events organised by the Markaz since 2019, and if any civic agencies like Tehsildar, SDM and health officials visited the Markaz after March 12. The police have also asked the Markaz to provide CCTV footage of the event and to preserve the same till further order.
So far, as many as 1023 of India's nearly 3,000 coronavirus cases have been linked to the religious gathering organised by Tablighi Jamaat in mid-March.
FIR against Maulana Saad under The Epidemic Diseases Act
Maulana Saad and other members of Jamaat are accused of defying the lockdown and social distancing calls and an FIR was registered against them under Section 3 of The Epidemic Diseases Act for organising a congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz.
Nationals from several countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Kyrgyzstan, had come for the event held at Tabligh Markaz at Banglewali Mosque in Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi.
It is being alleged that the Maulana Saad's organisation didn't seek police permission to hold the event, neither police took note of the event as a police station is located a few steps away.
26 questions asked by Delhi Police to Maulana Saad:
1. Full name, address and registration details of your organization be provided
2. Details of office bearers of your organization be name, address, mobile number, post and since when)
3. Details of persons in the Management Committee of the Markaz be provided name, father's name, address, mobile number aiLkI post)
4. Details of Income Tax Returns filed by your organization for the last 3 years be provided
5. PAN numbers, Bank Account numbers and Bank Statements for the last one year of your organisation be provided.6. List of employees working for your organization be provided (name, father's name, address, mobile number and post)
7. Number of religious gatherings (Markaz) organized by your organization from 01.01.2019 till date be provided. Details of number of days of Markaz and number of persons attending each Markaz be also provided.
8. A map/site plan of the premises being used for Markaz be provided
9. Whether CCTV is installed in the premises of the Markaz. If yes, then provide details about the number of cameras and their physical locations. The same be preserved till further order.
10. Whether any permission from Delhi Police or other authority was requested/obtained by the Management of Markaz for holding the religious gathering in this case. If yes, then provide certified copy of the same.
11. Whether any guidelines written/ oral issued by Delhi Police or any other Government Authority and received by the Management of Markaz for holding the religious gathering in this case. If yes, then provide certified copy of the same.
12. Certified copy of any other correspondence made between the Management of Markaz and any other Government Authority including police be provided.
13. Audio / Video recording (original, if available) made by or in possession of any person participating in the Markaz event be provided along with Certificate u/s 65B Indian Evidence Act.
14. Details of all devotees/inmates both Indian and Foreigners who participated in the Markaz after 12/03/2020 (name, father, name, address, mobile number)
15. Original Registers/data/records maintained by the management of Markaz regarding all persons who have participated in the Markaz after 12.03,2020 till date.
16. Whether any devotee fell sick at the Markaz. If yes, then provide details.
17. Steps taken to disperse the congregation at Markaz after 12/03/2020.
18. Steps taken to disperse the congregation at Markaz after promulgation of Section 144 CrPC on 24/03/2020 in the area.
19. Provide list of staff/volunteers/parking attendants (name, father, name, address, mobile number, post) that was deployed for duty at the Markaz arrangement from 12/03/2020 onwards - till date.
20. Provide date-wise list of inmates/devotees (Indians and foreigners) at the Markaz after 12/03/2020 (name, father's name, address, mobile number), if available.
21. Provide date-wise list of inmates/devotees (Indian and foreigners) at the Markaz who had been taken to hospitals for treatment after 12/02/2020 (name, father's name, address, mobile number), if available.
22. Provide date-wise list of inmates/devotees (Indians and foreigners) at the Markaz who had been taken to other places like mosques/guest houses etc, for treatment/ quarantine after 12/03/2020 (name, father's name, address, mobile number), if available.
23. Provide details of inmates/devotees (Indians and foreigners) who had participated in Markaz and have died thereafter (name, father's name, address, mobile number, name of Hospital).
24. Provide details of Curfew Passes issued to anyone related to the Markaz (name, father's name, address, mobile number, purpose for which curfew pass issued).
25. Provide details of the visit (date-wise) of various civic agencies like Tehsildar, SDM, DC, Health Department Teams, Doctors, Medical Service Providers,
representatives of WHO, Disaster Management Teams or any such other agency after 12/03/2020 to the Markaz.26. Any other relevant information/document/ evidence which might be useful for the investigation of this case.
It is, therefore, requested that the same be provided to the undersigned at the earliest. Further, the original of the entire record, especially the CCTV footage, as mentioned above should be preserved till the disposal of the case.
