Overview

• The court quashed 16 FIRs from March 2020 against 70 Indian nationals accused of sheltering foreign attendees of the Tablighi Jamaat gathering
• Justice Neena Bansal Krishna ruled that mere residence in the Nizamuddin Markaz did not amount to violating sudden prohibitory orders issued under Section 144
• The judgment observed there was “not a whisper” in any chargesheet that petitioners were found COVID-19 positive or acted with intent to spread infection
• The accused had been booked under IPC sections for criminal conspiracy and negligent or malignant acts, as well as the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act and the Foreigners Act
• A detailed written verdict is still awaited, reinforcing the court’s emphasis on procedural safeguards and the proper use of emergency powers