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
Alhamdulillah.. very fortune for mangaloreans, what I see is not many muslims make use of Islamic banks as may be it bacame a habit of using interest banks though they never take interests .. or these banks aren't reaching them .. or any other issue .. recently we planned to buy a flat with a interest loan of 10lakhs , but somewhere we felt like war against Allah ..We dropped it as it involved interest loan .. then suddenly it stroke to my head I can opt for an loan from Islamic bank.. was looking for interest free bank and I found this and same in bangalore as well... In shaa Allah..I hope these bank benefits people like me ..And all Muslims as well..Keeps them away from dealing with interest. May Allah safeguard us from this kind of grave sins
ARE the Cheddi members so WEAK, that they need to be informed that Human life is more valuable than the COW?
Cheddi foot soldiers should use their intellect rather than depending on Cheddi orders and make cow as mother or not.
SEE How Cheddi Foot Soldiers are used by the Cheddis... When they want, they make the CoW the mother. and foot soldiers are used to do violent in the society to protect cow.. and now they even cant control what they sow ...
When PUBLIC Wake up in the society even the cheddis who have 60% will also bow down to PUBLIC... People should note this stand and whenever someone trying to disrupt the society ... The whole like minded society should come together and speak for the truth and give justice...
Spying, cheating, terrorism, looting is their RSS goons birth rights Kurshidji. Nothing can be done and they are digging their own grave.
Simply spoiling their future along with others.. parents all efforts to bring them up went in vain because of the RSS terrorist activities.
bol bachan by yaddi keep. . . lol
Muslims must increase their eemaan to get the help of Allah. Remember 310 Muslims won war against thousands of kafirs. This is the type of help Allah will provide if we become mu'min. Forget this kafirs because Allah has given them the strength inorder to test us. That's it.
This RSS is a real anti human group. Send all those chaddis to andaman nicobar islands
They all belongs to sri rama sene and all from criminal background, put them behind bar for 2 years
Ek baar haji walo ki khidmat ke liye hame bhi mauka diya jaye aur isi bhane allah ke ghar ki ziyarat bhi ho jayegi
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