Tablighi Jamaat: Court allows 121 foreigners from 2 countries to walk free on payment of fine

New Delhi, July 21

A Delhi court Tuesday allowed 121 people from Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia to walk free on payment of different fines, after they accepted mild charges under the plea bargain process related to various violations including visa norms while attending Tablighi Jamaat event here during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Metropolitan Magistrate Rajat Goyal allowed 98 Indonesians to walk free on payment of a fine of Rs 10,000 each, said advocate Ashima Mandla appearing for them.

The court directed them to deposit the fine to PM CARES Fund.  Metropolitan Magistrate Rohit Gullia allowed 23 foreign nationals from Kyrgyzstan to walk free on payment of a fine of Rs 5,000 each.

Sub-divisional magistrate of Defence Colony, who was the complainant in the case, Assistant Commissioner of Police of Lajpat Nagar and Inspector of Nizamuddin said they have no objection to their plea bargain.

However, two foreign nationals each from Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia did not plead guilty to the charges against them and claimed trial before the court.

Under plea bargaining, the accused plead guilty to the offence praying for a lesser punishment. The Criminal Procedure of Code allows for plea bargaining in cases where the maximum punishment is 7-year imprisonment; offences don’t affect the socio-economic conditions of the society and the offence is not committed against a woman or a child below 14 years.

The foreigners were chargesheeted for attending the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz event in the national capital by allegedly violating visa conditions, indulging in missionary activities illegally and violating government guidelines, issued in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

They were granted bail earlier by the court on a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each. PTI