Supreme Court heard the petition related to the Congregation of Tablighi Jamaat on May 27, 2020. The Bench comprised of Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy. Prior to this, the court had given time to the Centre to file a reply to the petition on April 14, 2020.
Jammu-based lawyer Supriya Pandita had moved the petition. It demanded an enquiry into the events leading up to the Tablighi Jamaat convention.ย The event took place in the National Capital. Thereafter, many attendees tested positive for COVID-19. However, no reply was filed by the Central government. Being that, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared on behalf of the government; he sought one more week to file a reply.
The Court while accepting the request of the Solicitor General allowed more time to file a reply. Adding to it, the court directed Mehta to supply a copy of the petition to the government of Delhi, the Delhi Development Authority, and the DTC. The other authorities can also file a reply if they wish so.
Notably, the petitioner questioned the role of the Centre, the Delhi government, and the Delhi Police for risking the health of millions of citizens by allowing the huge congregation. The event also comprised of foreign delegates. Meanwhile, the court heard another petition which demanded an end to demonizing Muslims following the Tablighi event. Jamiat Ulama i-Hindย moved the petition.
