MP HC Grants Bail To 8 Tablighi Jamaat Members, Including 6 Hailing From Foreign Countries [Read Order]

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday granted bail to eight members of Tablighi Jamaat, including six foreigners, arrested under IPC sections 188, 269 and 270 IPC, Section 51 of National Disaster Management Act 2005, and Sections 13 & 14 of Foreigners Act, 1946.

The accused, belonging to India and from 3 foreign Countries had attended the Jamaat's congregation in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi in March, which had surfaced as a major hotspot of COVID cases.

The Counsel for the applicants advanced a singular contention, that two similarly-situated accused, facing trial arising out of same crime number and for allegedly committing similar offence, were enlarged on bail by the lower court on April 30.

The Single Judge recorded that the Panel Lawyer for the respondent/State did not dispute that the present applicants are similarly situated and their Criminal Case is arising out of same crime number, while opposing the bail application.

"If this is not in dispute that present applicants are similarly situated qua (the two other) and their cases are arising out of same crime number, there is no justification in putting the present applicants to a comparatively disadvantageous position. Resultantly, I deem it proper to grant bail to the applicants on the same conditions on which bail was granted by Court below (in the aforesaid instance)", ordered the Single Bench, allowing the bail application.

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