Nizamuddin Markaz case: Centre says necessary to keep premises locked

The Centre on Monday told Delhi High Court that the case registered in relation to the alleged violation of Covid-19 protocols at Nizamuddin Markaz is serious and has “cross borders implications”. The Centre contended that it is necessary to keep the markaz locked, where the Tablighi Jamaat congregation was held in March last year amid Covid-19 pandemic.

The Centre told this to the Delhi High Court which remarked that the premises can’t be kept locked forever.

Justice Mukta Gupta, who was hearing the Delhi Waqf Board’s plea to re-open the markaz which has remained shut since March 31 last year, questioned the Centre as to how long it intended to keep the Nizamuddin Markaz locked, saying it can’t be “kept forever”.

On April 15, the court had allowed 50 people to offer namaz five times a day at Nizamuddin Markaz during Ramzan.

The board, in its plea filed through advocate Wajeeh Shafiq, contended that even after unlock-1 guidelines permitted religious places outside containment zones to be opened, the markaz continues to be locked up.

It has further contended that even if the premises was part of any criminal investigation or trial, keeping it “under lock as an out of bound area” was a “primitive method” of enquiry process.