New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought response from the Centre and the police on two fresh petitions filed by the foreign nationals who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhis Nizamuddin area in mid-March, seeking quashing of the second FIR filed against them.

A single judge bench of the high court presided over by Justice Anup Jairam Bhambani issued the notice to the Central government and the Delhi Police, asking them to file a status report in connection with the petition filed through advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh.

While posting the matter for further hearing on August 10, the court also directed the Delhi Police to prepare a consolidated chart of all the FIRs lodged against all Tablighi Jamaat members.

During the course of the hearing, Mandla argued that the petitioners were not informed with regard to the additional FIRs.

The petitioners appraised the court that they have been charged in these FIRs under the same sections under which they have been charged by the Crime Branch in its FIRs filed against them, for which the majority of them have entered plea bargaining and paid fines.

The Delhi Police have filed 53 chargesheets in the district courts here against 955 foreign nationals belonging to 35 countries. As many as 908 foreigners were allowed by the trial court to be deported to their native countries after they admitted their guilt and pleaded for lenient punishments under the provisions of plea bargaining.

On March 31, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police had lodged an FIR against seven persons, including Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad, on a complaint file by the SHO of Nizamuddin police station for holding a congregation of Tablighi followers in alleged violation of the orders against large gatherings to contain the spread of coronavirus.