New Delhi, Apr 9: The Delhi Police has traced Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, who has been on the run after an FIR was registered against him for organising a religious gathering last month despite restrictions to combat the coronavirus, sources said on Wednesday.
The cleric has been traced to Zakir Nagar in southeast Delhi, sources said.
His lawyer Tauseef Khan, however, said Saad is under self-quarantine and will join investigation after his quarantine period is over.
On March 31, Delhi Police's Crime Branch lodged an FIR against seven people, including the cleric, on a complaint by Station House Officer Nizamuddin for holding the congregation here allegedly in violation of the orders against large gathering and not maintaining social distancing to contain the spread of coronavirus.
A day later, the Delhi Police's Crime Branch wrote to Saad and others, seeking the details under Section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A second notice was also issued to him this week.
"Saad is currently under self-quarantine and will join investigation once the period of 14 days gets over," his advocate, Tauseef Khan, told PTI.
Saad's quarantine is expected to end next week.
His lawyer said a reply to the second notice will be given soon.
In an audio message last week, Saad said he was exercising self-quarantine after several hundreds who visited the Tablighi Jamaat's Nizamudddin markaz tested positive for coronavirus.
Visited by thousands last month, the Nizamudddin centre also turned out to be a hotspot for spread of coronavirus not only in national capital and country.
According to the FIR, the Delhi Police contacted the centre on March 21 and reminded them of the government order that prohibited any political or religious gathering of more than 50 people.
However, no one paid any heed to the police's direction, it said. Moreover, an audio recording purportedly of Saad was found in circulation on WhatsApp on March 21, in which he was heard asking his followers to defy the lockdown and social distancing and to attend the religious gathering of the Markaz.
On March 24, the government ordered 21-day nationwide lockdown and restricted any social, political or religious gathering.
The same day a meeting was held at Hazarat Nizamuddin police station between SHO and officer bearers of the centre.
The meeting was attended by Saad, Mohammad Ashraf, Mohammad Salman, Yunus, Mursaleen Saifi, Jishan and Mufti Shehzad and they were informed about lockdown orders.
So far, several hundred cases of COVID-19 cases across the country have been found to be linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi last month.
More than 25,500 Tablighi members and their contacts have been quarantined in the country after the Centre and the state governments conducted a "mega operation" to identify them.
At least 9,000 people participated in the religious congregation in Nizamuddin. Later, many of the attendees travelled to various parts of the country.
Comments
All these because of lacking of knowledge of fundamentals of Islam.
Islam is perfectly taught with boundaries for what to be done and what not to be done.
What to be done are : Farz, or obligatory deeds
What may be done : N compulsion, but doing can lead for extra reward
Not to be done Prohibitions : These should not be done. Like Associating someone with the True God who created us who only deserves to be worshipped. This is a biggest crime in Islamic point of view. Other prohibitions are eating pork, liquors, adultery, gambling,
Now the things what happening mostly in Dargah are worshipping the graves, which is the biggest crime. This is forbidden to both men and women. People can visit the dargah and pray for the dead people in that grave. But begging the dead there is prohibited.
Really those dead bodies can not help us, in contrary those bodies need prayers, wishes of living people.
We can visit the dargah in the intention to pray for the dead in the grave and to say Salam. Doing like this properly is not sin.
Wrongly Visiting Dargah can mislead to sin,
And not visiting Dargah does not amount to sin.
Therefore people lack basic teaching of Islam.
A MUSLIMAH ( True Muslim Women) will never ask with any other creation EXCEPT ALLAH... Those who depend on other than ALLAH will get what they want but in the end they will fall for the trap of deceivers who are attracting the people who are WEAK in IMAN to their way of worshiping the graves or asking with the graves.
THOSE who have faith in ALLAH will never ask or depend on, other than ALLAH. They are Satisfied with what ALLAH gave and Say ALHAMDULLILLAH in whatever situation comes their way... Congrats to such MUSLIMS and MUSlIMAH who trust ALLAH and follow the teaching of Prophet Muhammad pbuh... who never showed us Such CULTURE of DARGAH ViSIT..
Prophet MUHAMMED pbuh said... Visit GRAVES to Pray for the one who is in the GRAVE & REMEMBER that one day our fate will be same. So dont live in this life in ARROGANT or do injustice to Others.
Dear Sahil, if they knows the meaning of Namaz or Salah they never visit Dargah. Here may be RSS behind such kind of demands.
These so called muslim women don't know Islam. so they are asking entry to Dargah/Grave yard. Who stop them to go there go and enjoy.CD Editor please remove Muslim woman tag because muslim women never ask such kind of demands.Better tag Ahle biddah women ask entry to darga.
They dont bother about namaz..but worried about entry to do shirq
Haha..funny..they dont bother about performing namaz..
But worried about entry to dargah to do shirq..
Dear CD team. Please be careful when you posting one sided opinion about practice of Islam. You have reader from all sections.
REALLY SURPRISED TO SEEE THESE MUSLIM LADIES IN ROAD PROTESTING FOR ENTERING THE DARGAH ,
FIRST THEY HAVE TO OFFER NAMAZ PERFECTLY I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY WILL GET IN DARGAH ....
THEY JUST VISIT TO ASK TO THEM.. THATS NOT GOOD WE HAVE TO ASK WITH ALLAH HE IS OUR ALL MIGHTY ..
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