Delhi Police finds ‘nothing objectionable’ in Markaz chief’s speeches linked to 2020 COVID FIR
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New Delhi: A probe by the Delhi Police Crime Branch has found no objectionable content in the speeches of Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, who was booked in March 2020 for allegedly instigating followers to defy COVID-19 restrictions during the outbreak.
According to a report in the Indian Express, the current investigating officer informed senior officials that speeches retrieved from Kandhalvi’s laptop and analysed by the forensic science laboratory contained “nothing objectionable.”
The case dates back to March 31, 2020, when an FIR was lodged against Kandhalvi and others under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The FIR, filed by the then station house officer of Hazrat Nizamuddin police station, cited an audio recording circulating on WhatsApp in which Kandhalvi was allegedly heard urging followers to attend the Markaz gathering despite restrictions.
The development comes weeks after the Delhi High Court, on July 17, quashed chargesheets in 16 cases filed against 70 Indian nationals accused of sheltering foreigners who had attended the congregation.
In the aftermath of the March 2020 Markaz event, 952 foreign nationals from 36 countries were chargesheeted. Police had filed 48 chargesheets and 11 supplementary chargesheets in May and June of that year. While 44 foreign nationals opted to face trial, 908 others pleaded guilty and paid fines ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 10,000.
The congregation was held before the Union government issued guidelines on restrictions for public gatherings. However, as COVID-19 cases surged in late March 2020, the event was widely blamed in the media and by authorities for spreading the virus. On April 5, then health ministry joint secretary Lav Agarwal claimed that India’s COVID-19 case doubling rate was adversely affected by the congregation, sparking a wave of communal targeting of Muslims under the label of “corona jihad.”
Observers pointed out that just days before the Markaz gathering, over one lakh people had assembled in Ahmedabad to welcome then US president Donald Trump, raising questions about selective scapegoating.
A 2021 Pew Research Centre report later identified India as the country with the highest level of COVID-19-related hostilities directed against religious groups by both the state and sections of society.
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KKR defeat LSG via Super Over
Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
