NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday acquitted 36 foreigners who faced trial for allegedly violating Covid-19 related guidelines by attending a Tablighi Jamaat event at Nizamuddin Markaz.
Chief metropolitan magistrate Arun Kumar Garg acquitted the foreign nationals belonging to 14 countries of the charges they were being tried for. “Prosecution has failed to lead any cogent evidence to prove that any of the accused were a part of the gathering at Markaz. In the absence of such evidence, there is no question of violation of guidelines restricting the gathering to a maximum of 50 persons,” the court observed.
On August 24, the court had framed charges against the accused under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC and Section 3 (disobeying regulation) of Epidemic Act, 1897, defence counsel Ashima Mandla said. Charges were also framed under sections 51 and 58 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.