Submit detained foreign Tablighi Jamaat members' details to Centre: SC to petitioners seeking return

New Delhi [India], July 31 : The Supreme Court on Friday asked petitioners, who were seeking the return of foreign Tablighi Jamaat members to their respective country, to submit details of the detained foreigners to the Central government.
A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar, asked the petitioners to submit their details to the government if they wanted to return to their respective countries then it will hear the matter for consideration.
The petitioners argued that most have pleaded in plea bargaining and yet have not been able to leave India. They further stated that passports of the foreign Tablighi Jamaat members have not been returned.
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, senior law officer representing the Central government, had earlier told the apex court that out of 34 petitioners, 23 pleaded guilty and have been imposed with a certain fine, and they are clear to go back home.
Mehta told the apex court bench, led by Justice AM Khanwilkar, that 23 foreign nationals, out of 34, who filed the petition in the Supreme Court, have been let off after they accepted mild charges under plea bargaining process but none of them agreed to face trial for violating COVID-19 lockdown.
Mehta, however, said, nine of them are willing to face trial here, and those trials will go on in various courts.
Senior lawyer, CU Singh, appearing for many petitioners, had said and requested the bench that the return of these 23 petitioners must be facilitated at the earliest.
The apex court was hearing a slew of petitions regarding foreign nationals who were blacklisted for attending Tablighi Jamaat congregation.
The Top Court, which had earlier stated that these foreign nationals could individually move concerned authorities, today fixed the matter for further hearing on August 6.