A Lucknow court on Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs 1,500 each on 49 foreign nationals for taking part in a Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi during the Covid-19 pandemic last year. The 49 foreigners had reached Uttar Pradesh from Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Bangladesh. They had been accused of violating the central and state Covid-19 guidelines.
Police had registered cases at different police stations in Lucknow and Bahraich, Sitapur and Bhadohi districts under various IPC sections and the Epidemic Diseases Act. The 49 foreign nationals pleaded that they all were tourists and had come to India on valid visas. Chief Judicial Magistrate Sushil Kumari has imposed a fine of Rs 1,500 on each of them. The Sessions Court observed that there was nothing on record to show that the accused had violated any quarantine rules. They were booked for offences under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Indian Penal Code, Section 3 of Epidemic Diseases Act (penalty for offence under section 118 of IPC) and Section 14(B) of Foreigners Act (penalty for using forged passport).
