The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch team has conducted raids at the farmhouse of Tablighi Jamaat leader Maulana Saad Kandhavi, who has been booked for holding a religious congregation in the national Capital during the lockdown, at Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh.
Kandhavi is wanted by the Delhi Police and he responded twice to them. He is currently under home quarantine.
The Delhi Police crime branch, had on March 31, lodged an FIR against seven people, including the cleric, on a complaint by the Station House Officer of Nizamuddin police station for holding the congregation in alleged violation of the orders against large gatherings to contain the spread of coronavirus. Later, the Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was added to the FIR.
On Monday, Saad urged the followers of the organisation to pray at home in the month of Ramzan.
"I request all, both in India and abroad, to strictly follow the guidelines and instructions of the local or national governments and till the time restrictions are in place and please observe prayers at home. And even in this, we should not invite people from outside," he had said in a statement.
In an audio message released earlier this month, Kandhalvi had said he was exercising self-quarantine after several hundreds who visited the congregation at Nizamudddin Markaz tested positive for coronavirus.