The Delhi High Court on Monday turned down the Centre’s request to limit the quantity of persons who can enter Nizamuddin Markaz through Ramzan. The court mentioned that there can not be any such limit on Markaz when other religious areas do not have such restrictions. The Centre and the Delhi Police had submitted that only 20 persons be permitted to enter the premises at a time out of a police-verified list of 200 persons. However, the court permitted the mosque inside the Markaz to open for prayers through Ramzan in accordance with the suggestions of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
reports that Justice Mukta Gupta observed that it was an open spot and it does not have to have a fixed (quantity of) devotees when no other religious spot has. He additional mentioned that anyone can want to go to a temple or mosque or church and a certain list of 200 persons can’t be offered by anybody. “A 200-people list is not acceptable; that cannot be,” the court was quoted as saying by IE. The court, having said that, mentioned that a list of persons managing the mosque can be offered to the nearby SHO.
The court ordered that an inspection of the mosque in presence of the nearby SHO can take spot to measure the location for figuring out the quantity of persons who can give namaz in accordance with social distancing norms, and marking the spots exactly where prayer mats can be place for devotees. The court has asked the authorities to file a status report and posted the matter for Tuesday.
Representing the Centre, advocate Rajat Nair mentioned a list of 200 persons can be submitted to the police but only 20 persons could enter the mosque at a single time to comply with social distancing norms. However, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta representing the Delhi Waqf Board told the court they will adhere to all the protocol but it would be virtually complicated to comply with such a list.
Justice Gupta then asked the Centre whether or not it had place any limit on other religious areas. “For religious places, have you curtailed the gathering to 20 at a time? What is the maximum number which you have given for each of the religious places,” the court asked. To this, Nair mentioned that no such limit had been set but that quantity was determined by the management of that religious spot. He, having said that, added that there is “another issue” with the mosque at Markaz Nizamuddin.
He mentioned somebody would have to monitor the spot as it was a “case property”, according to the report. However, the court mentioned that it was a structure pertinent to the land and no one can eliminate the structure. “I do not know in what sense the case property…but nobody is hindering the investigation,” the court mentioned.
Nizamuddin Markaz has been locked considering the fact that March final year when hundreds of persons had been identified congregating in violation of the Covid-19 suggestions. Many of them had come from abroad flouting visa norms. Cases had been registered against them and the Markaz was shut. India has once more come in the grip of the second wave with coronavirus situations crossing 1.5 lakh in a day.