Delhi HC asks to reopen Markaz Nizamuddin for Shab-e-Baraat

Delhi High Court allowed the reopening of four floors of the mosque in the Markaz Nizamuddin building for Shab-e-Baraat. The ground floor and three other floors of Masjid Bangley Wali will be opened at 12 o'clock, the day before Shab-e- Baraat, and will be closed at 4 pm on the next day of the festival.

New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed the reopening of four floors of the mosque in the Markaz Nizamuddin building for Shab-e-Baraat. The court amended some of the conditions imposed by Delhi police and asked the administration to ensure that people follow Covid protocol and social distancing. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri removed the restriction of putting a limit of 100 people at one floor.

Delhi Police said in its report that the ground floor and three other floors of Masjid Bangley Wali will be opened at 12 o'clock the day before Shab-e- Baraat and will be closed at 4 pm on the next day of Shab-e-Baraat. During the hearing, it was agreed that only Namaz and religious functions would be performed in the mosque premises.

The police report said that if any foreign national seeks to enter the mosque premises, he will have to show his identity card to the management. The management will hand over the identity card of that foreign national to the local SHO.

Earlier, on March 15, Delhi police, at the request of Delhi Waqf Board, allowed to reopen the building for prayers in view of the festival, but Station House Officer of Nizamuddin imposed certain conditions, one of which was to limit the number to less than 100.

Markaz has been locked due to alleged violation of the guidelines during commencement of the first wave of Covid-19 in March 2020 when Tablighi Jamaat held a meeting at Markaz Nizamuddin and several FIRs were registered under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, the Foreigners Act and various provisions of the penal code in connection with the Tablighi Jamaat event and the subsequent stay of foreigners.

(With agency inputs)