Tablighi Jamaat: Maulana Saad asked 26 queries by Delhi Police

NEW DELHI: Twenty-six questions were posed to Mohammad Saad, the organizer of a religious meet here in Nizamuddin Markaz that has turned out to be the lone booster of the staggering increase in the number of positive coronavirus cases and deaths throughout the country.

Relevant documents in support of the answers have been sought from the organizer of the event – the Tablighi Jamaat wherein thousands of people from India and 41 foreign countries gathered amid COIVD-19 threat.

The religious event held last month by Tablighi Jamaat, a Sunni organization, has sparked off a nationwide search for its attendees with reports emerging from various states of new clusters of coronavirus-affected people linked to the event.

The police has asked to provide information of the 26 questions under section 91 of Criminal Procedure Code. The Section 91 means ‘summons to produce document or other thing.

He is one of the accused in a case registered by the police for violation of Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act on March 31. The case is registered under various sections of Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act and Indian Penal Code.

One of the questions is: “Whether any permission from Delhi Police or other authority was obtained by the management of markaz (Centre) for holding religious gathering in this year?”

IANS has accessed to the two-page questionnaire sent to Mohammad Saad.

The police has sought information like ‘full name, address and registration details of the organization’, details of office bearers, details of persons in Markaz committee and details of the Income Tax returns filed by the organization in last three years.

It has also asked for the PAN number, bank account and bank statements of the organization, list of employees working in the organization and number of religious gatherings organised from January 1 till date. The cops also sought details of all devotees, including foreigners who came after March 12. They sought original register of the record of the people who attended the event after March 12.

The crime branch unit of Delhi Police, which is probing the case, also sought details of persons from government agencies who visited Markaz after March 12.

The sleuths also want to know whether any written guidelines issued to Mohammad Saad by any authority to hold religious events and any other correspondence between management and government authorities was there.

The police sought audio or video recording of the persons participating in the meet. The police also wanted to know whether any devotee fell sick during the meet.

The police sought information regarding all the steps that were taken to disperse the congregation at Markaz on March 12 and steps taken to disperse the congregation after promulgation of Section 144 CrPC on March 24.

The list of staff, volunteers and parking attendees and date-wise list of invitees after March 12 were also sought. The police also wanted to know the date wise list of inmates who were taken to hospital after March 12 and date wise list of inmates taken to mosques or other places.

The police sought information about details of persons who attended the meet and died thereafter. (IANS)

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