Sushree Mohanty
The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the police to file a response to a request demanding for re-opening of the Nizamuddin Markaz ad has conceded time for recording the response.
The Nizamuddin Markaz has been locked since after a few individuals who went to the Tablighi Jamaat assembly contracted the COVID-19 virus.
Justice Mukta Gupta directed the authorities to file the status report within 10 days and posted the matter for additional hearing.
The High Court gave directions and sought answers from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Government and Delhi Police on the appeal recorded by the Delhi Waqf Board.
The Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra, who is appearing on behalf of the state and Delhi Police, requested for allowing additional time to document the status report.
Advocate Rajat Nair, representing the Center, additionally requested the court to grant more time to document the report.
The Board has looked for bearings to the authorities to reconsider the need of keeping the Waqf premises accessible for activity as a religious spot.
Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta, appearing on behalf of the Waqf Board contended that post the unlock-1, the guidelines allowed religious spots located outside of the containment zones to resume and reopen.
However, the markaz which also involves the Masjid Bangley Wali, Madarsa Kashif-ul-uloom and associated hostels continues to be closed and inaccessible.
He further contended that regardless of whether the premises were important for any criminal examination or trial, keeping it “under lock as an out of bound territory” was a “primitive strategy” for the sake of investigation.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been enlisted under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, Foreigners Act and similar other provisions under the penal code regarding the Tablighi Jamaat assembly held at the markaz that resulted in the stay of outsiders there during the COVID-19 lockdown and spread of the Corona Virus in early 2020.