A Delhi court on Friday allowed some foreign nationals from Thailand to walk free on the plea bargaining process after they accepted mild charges in connection with a Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz here.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gagndeep allowed 34 Thailand nationals to walk free on plea bargaining and imposed a fine of Rs, 6,000 each while seven Thai nationals claimed trial.
The foreign nationals from Thailand were represented by advocate Ashima Mandla. The fine has been paid to the PM CARES fund as per the direction of the court, Mandla said.
The court had earlier said that there was prima facie sufficient material on record to proceed against the accused persons under Section14 (b) Foreigners Act, 1946, under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, and the Indian Penal Code.
Thereafter, the court had summoned all the 41 accused of Thailand who were charge-sheeted in 48 charge sheets and 11 supplementary charge sheets, filed by Crime Branch of Delhi Police in the matter. The court had directed them to physically appear from the court.
The court has recently granted bail to many foreign nationals in connection with the cases related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation in March this year, which had reportedly become an epicentre of COVID-19 spread across the country.
Delhi Police had charge-sheeted around 955 foreign nationals in the matter.
( With inputs from ANI )