Kolkata: A four-member Delhi Police crime branch team will be in Kolkata this weekend to question several foreign Tablighi Jamaat members staying at Haj House in Kaikhali. The team will be led by an inspector, accompanied by a sub-inspector who is investigating officer.
Delhi Police moved quickly after the Delhi High Court allowed it to continue the probe and posted the next hearing for August 24. The HC was hearing four petitions filed by 84 foreign nationals, who sought quashing of FIR lodged against them by Delhi Police. The petitioners had also sought quashing of look-out circulars issued by Bureau of Immigration and of notices issued by SIT of Delhi Police crime branch.
A Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque in March had been termed a coronavirus super-spreader with over 4,000 confirmed cases and at least 27 deaths reportedly linked to it.
According to an estimate, over 9,000 missionaries from various states of India and 960 people from 40 countries had attended the event. This led Delhi police to lodge a case. Police have so far charged 954 people — including nationals from 34 countries — though no one has been arrested.
Delhi Police DCP (crime) Joy Tirkey told TOI that bookings had been made on Rajdhani Express. “They will reach Kolkata on Saturday. My team is bringing with it a specific questionnaire and a proforma, and wishes to return to Delhi by Tuesday. As we have told the court, we have no plans of arrests as of now. We will record their statements and report our findings to court. We will wait for its instructions,” Tirkey said.
In Kolkata, the Bidhannagar police said notices had already been served and adequate social distancing would be maintained during questioning. “We shifted them to Kaikhali as the New Town facility is now an isolation ward,” said New Town DC Kamanaashish Sarkar.
The foreigners are mostly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar.
Delhi Police moved quickly after the Delhi High Court allowed it to continue the probe and posted the next hearing for August 24. The HC was hearing four petitions filed by 84 foreign nationals, who sought quashing of FIR lodged against them by Delhi Police. The petitioners had also sought quashing of look-out circulars issued by Bureau of Immigration and of notices issued by SIT of Delhi Police crime branch.
A Tablighi Jamaat congregation held in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque in March had been termed a coronavirus super-spreader with over 4,000 confirmed cases and at least 27 deaths reportedly linked to it.
According to an estimate, over 9,000 missionaries from various states of India and 960 people from 40 countries had attended the event. This led Delhi police to lodge a case. Police have so far charged 954 people — including nationals from 34 countries — though no one has been arrested.
Delhi Police DCP (crime) Joy Tirkey told TOI that bookings had been made on Rajdhani Express. “They will reach Kolkata on Saturday. My team is bringing with it a specific questionnaire and a proforma, and wishes to return to Delhi by Tuesday. As we have told the court, we have no plans of arrests as of now. We will record their statements and report our findings to court. We will wait for its instructions,” Tirkey said.
In Kolkata, the Bidhannagar police said notices had already been served and adequate social distancing would be maintained during questioning. “We shifted them to Kaikhali as the New Town facility is now an isolation ward,” said New Town DC Kamanaashish Sarkar.
The foreigners are mostly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar.
