SC seeks Bihar govt's response on foreign Jamaat attendees plea for consolidation of trial

New Delhi [India], Aug 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the State of Bihar to respond by next week on a plea filed by 13 foreign nationals, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, seeking consolidation of trial before one court.
A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, hearing the implemented application filed by the foreign Jamaat attendees asked the Bihar government to file the reply and posted the matter for further hearing on August 31.
An impleadment application was filed by 13 other foreign Jamaatis seeking relief of consolidation of trial before one court. This application pertains to the State of Bihar.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta expressed difficulty in the consolidation of cases as they are in different cities. He said matters were consolidated in Delhi because the cases were before different courts in the same city.
Mehta said that it would be difficult to consolidate trial before a single judge if the accused persons are in different cities, even if it is in the same state.
The apex court said that the consolidation of cases has to be approved by the state of Bihar since the Jamaatis concerned are in Bihar.
The main case pertains to plea challenging blacklisting of foreign nationals by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities at Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz in March.
Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the petitioners, told the bench that they have all been in the country since March and by this plea, they are only asking for consolidation of trials against them as they are in different states on humanitarian grounds.
Guruswamy said if the case could be transferred from Patna to Delhi.
Several foreign nationals had attended the Markaz Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin congregation, which had reportedly become an epicentre for coronavirus spread across the country.