The Chief of Nizamuddin Markaz Maulana Saad Khandalvi has been traced by Delhi police to be living in the Zakir Nagar area and has put himself under quarantine.
Delhi police are planning to interrogate Maulana Saad but will conduct it only after completion of his quarantine period. According to his lawyers, he has put himself under self-quarantine and that’s why he is unable to join the investigation now.
Maulana Saad is booked under The Epidemics Act 1897 for allowing religious congregation in the month of March despite repeated warnings from the center and the state government. He disregarded the guidelines issued by the government in the light of the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic which is spreading rapidly. Maulana Saad is wanted in an offence lodged by the Delhi Police under sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and sections of the Indian Penal Code, for violating government directions on steps to be taken for avoiding the spread of Wuhan Coronavirus.
As thousands of people from across the country and many from abroad attended the religious congregation, the event has now emerged as a hotspot for the maximum cases of coronavirus as over 1300 of the total number of Tabligh Jamaatis has been traced back to the event and their contacts. Nearly 25,000 people have been quarantined by the government of India.
Delhi Police crime branch has sent two notices to Saad under Section 91 of CrPC. The police have asked Maulana Saad to provide some documents. The second notice was sent after the first notice was found “unsatisfactory”.
As Muhammad Saad remained untraceable, the Delhi police slapped a notice with the 36 questions at his farmhouse in Shamli near Delhi. After the first notice was found unsatisfactory, the Delhi police slapped the second issue.
Investigative agencies have started probing into the sources of funding and financial aid received by the conservative Islamist organization. The Delhi Police have also started probing into the finances of the organization which came under the national limelight after organising a congregation at its Delhi centre at Markaz Nizamuddin where 1700-3000 people are believed to have participated in the event, in flagrant violation of the restrictive orders.
