New Delhi: A court in Delhi on Friday granted bail to 82 Bangladeshis who were chargesheeted for attending a Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in the city in March, PTI reported. Similarly, 62 Malaysian and 11 Saudi Arabian nationals were released after payment of fines by another local court.
This came a day after 60 Malaysian nationals were released after payment of fines.
The congregation, which was held in violation of the law, has been blamed for thousands of coronavirus infections around the country in the initial weeks of the nationwide lockdown that started on March 25. The congregation was attended by many foreigners. The Tablighi Jamaat is a Sunni Muslim sect with followers in over 80 countries.
On Friday, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur granted bail to the foreigners on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each. Advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh, appearing for the Bangladeshi nationals, said they will file their plea bargaining applications later in the day.
Metropolitan Magistrate Siddharth Malik allowed the 62 Malaysian nationals to be released on payment of Rs 7,000 each after they filed a plea seeking lesser sentence under the petition bargaining process by accepting mild charges.
Another court of Metropolitan Magistrate Ashish Gupta allowed 11 Saudi Arabian nationals to walk free under the plea bargaining process upon their payment of Rs 10,000 each.
