Nizamuddin Markaz: Cleric Maulana Saad goes missing; FIR filed against 7

Maulana Saad of the Nizamuddin Markaz, who has been named as the prime accused in the FIR filed against the management of Tablighi Jamaat, has reportedly been missing for the past three days.

New Delhi:The Delhi police filed an FIR against Maulana Saad of Nizamuddin Markaz, and six others for violating government directions on Tuesday. The Maulana, who is said to be the main accused, is now reportedly missing.

Police had yesterday registered an FIR against the management of Tablighi Jamaat headquartered in south Delhi's Nizamuddin area and reportedly handed over the probe to the crime branch.

Maulana Saad, has reportedly been missing for the past three days, and is not to be found at his residence ever since the matter came to light.

The crime branch is currently in pursuit of the Maulana. Other than the Maulana, six others have been named in the FIR - Dr Zeeshan, Mufti Shahzad, Mohd Shafi, Yunus, Mohd Salman, and Mohd Ashraf.

The Tablighi-Jamaat came at the centre of storm for holding religious programme during prohibitory orders.

Read:17 foreign, two Indian participants of Nizamuddin discourse found in Bahraich

Tablighi Jamaat Markaz has been booked for violating the Epidemic Act provisions and also IPC Section 120B (criminal conspiracy). The crime branch will also question the Markaz chief as well as Saad Kandhalvi, who organized such a large gathering of the sect's followers in a situation where coronavirus infection spreads quickly.

The Nizamuddin Markaz had been evacuated by authorities and evacuees were sent to quarantine as 24 cases of positive coronovirus have been detected till Tuesday late night.

According to reports, a total of 2361 people were evacuated from the Markaz, of which as many as 617 were exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.

(With inputs from IANS)