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After it came to know that possibly 200 out of around 2,000 people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi could be in Gujarat, the Gujarat High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the matter. The court has asked for a detailed report not only from the state government, but also from the Centre on the steps that have been taken for identification and further isolation of the people who attended the congregation in March.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Ashutosh Shastri pointed out the serious health risk in the state due to the presence of the 200 attendees of the congregation. The suo moto case was registered in the first place to deal with the challenges in the state due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the Tablighi incident was viewed as an urgent matter, the hearing of the suo moto case was heard on priority on April 1.
The Court has asked the centre and the state governments to work in coordination to identity and isolate the 200 persons in Gujarat who are a potential threat to the collective health of the state. The court asked the Centre to provide details of people who attended the congregation and have now entered the state of Gujarat. On the other hand, it asked the Gujarat government to mention in its action taken report the details shared by the Centre and the steps taken by it to act on the given information. It also asked to mention details of people who are untraceable, steps taken for the implementation of the restrictions with respect to gatherings at all worship places and the strict compliance of the same.
The order read more like a warning, “We make it very clear that in the event the report as required to be submitted by the previous order of 27th March, 2020 and as directed by this order are not found to be satisfactory on the next date of hearing, the Court will issue necessary directions and may proceed to take such coercive measures as may be deemed appropriate.”
The bench further said, “We leave it open to the State to take all measures preventive or coercive as may be deemed necessary to carry out not only the guidelines and directions issued by the Central Government, the State Government but also by this Court in order to effectively contain and prevent the deadly Virus from spreading any further.”
The case will be heard on April 3 when both the action taken reports are expected by the court.
The complete order can be read here.
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