Now a disease hub, Jamaat defied series of anti-covid curbs

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Tuesday registered a case against Maulana Saad, the head of the Tablighi Jamaat, and other officials of the group for defying a series of government orders that restricted gatherings in the city in a scaled manner between March 13 and March 21, before a full-fledged national lockdown was put in place on March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

In the first information report (FIR), parts of which were reviewed by HT, the police have claimed that they have recovered an audio recording in which Maulana Saad was expressly heard asking people to “defy” the government’s lockdown and prohibitory orders. The charges include sections of the epidemic diseases act -- meant to punish a person not following directions meant to stop an epidemic -- and those relating to criminal conspiracy.

The police have also mentioned that on March 23, they apprised the officials of Tablighi Jamaat about the need to maintain social distancing in the building, which was not followed. News agency ANI late on Tuesday released a purported video recording of the conversation at the Nizamuddin police station. HT could not independently verify the video.

The Jamaat, which issued a statement defending its actions earlier on Tuesday, said its centre -- known as a markaz -- is routinely occupied by followers who come from pre-scheduled events, and that hundreds of them were stranded as the government gradually tightened its curbs.