Participants at the Delhi mosque event in March also included foreigners (File)
New Delhi:
Delhi court on Thursday released 76 foreign nationals from 8 countries accused of attending the Delhi mosque in Nizamuddin allegedly violating visa requirements, engaging in activities missionaries illegally and violating government directives issued following the COVID-19 epidemic.
Metropolitan chief magistrate Gurmohina Kaur granted relief to foreigners by providing a personal deposit of 10,000 rupees each.
The accused will file his plea bargaining requests on Friday, said lawyer Ashima Mandla, appearing for some of the foreign nationals.
Under a guilty plea agreement, the accused pleaded guilty to the offense by praying for a lesser sentence. Criminal procedure under the Code authorizes the negotiation of pleas for cases where the maximum penalty is imprisonment for seven years, when the offenses do not affect the socio-economic conditions of society and when the offenses are not committed against a woman or child under 14. .
During the hearing, all foreign nationals were brought before the court by videoconference.
Foreigners belong to Mali, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania, South Africa and Myanmar, said lawyers Mandakini Singh, Fahim Khan and Ahmad Khan, appearing for accused .
