New Delhi: The Delhi High Court allowed Thursday the shifting of 955 foreign nationals from institutional quarantine to a different accommodation. All the foreign national had participated in the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz event in March.
A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rajnish Bhatnagar conducted the hearing through video conferencing. The bench disposed of two petitions filed by various foreign nationals. It said all of them will be shifted from government’s quarantine centres to nine designated places in the national capital.
The high court’s order came after the Centre, Delhi government and Delhi Police did not object to the suggestion of petitioners’ counsel for shifting the foreigners to alternate accommodation and that the financial burden will be borne by the community, Tablighi Jamaat.
The high court had earlier sought response of the authorities on a plea seeking release of 916 foreign nationals, who had participated in the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz event and are held in institutional quarantine since March 30 despite being tested negative for COVID-19. Later, another similar petition was filed by various other foreign nationals.
The Revenue Department, in a status report filed through Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra and advocate Chaitanya Gosain, gave its no objection for shifting the foreign nationals. Similarly, Delhi Police and Centre also verbally recorded their no objection for it.
The high court was also informed that 47 chargesheets have been filed against the foreign nationals as of now in the trial court.
Senior advocate Rebecca John and lawyer Ashima Mandla, appearing for the petitioners, had sought that all foreign nationals who have tested negative for COVID-19 and are in quarantine be released and sent to alternate places of accommodation and submitted the list.
The Delhi Police had earlier told the high court that it had neither arrested nor detained anyone in the case lodged against members of Tablighi Jamaat for participating in the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz event during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The petitions had challenged a May 9 order of Delhi government’s Department of Revenue which had directed for handing over of 567 foreign nationals, presently held in institutional quarantine, to the custody of Delhi Police after being tested negative for the virus.
PTI