Delhi High Court Impleads Centre, Directs Delhi Govt, Delhi Police To File Status Report On Reopening Of Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz
Live LawHearing a petition by the Delhi Waqf Board through its Chairman, for the reopening of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Markaz on the Delhi Waqf Board's premises in New Delhi, the Delhi High Court today directed the Delhi Government and Delhi Police to file their status report and replies to the petition. The petition states that the central government vide its guidelines for the phased reopening of public places and facilities after the Covid-19 lock down, known as "Guidelines for Unlock 1" dated May 30, 2020 allowed for the reopening of a list of religious places outside containment zones from Jun 8, 2020, yet the Hazrat Nizamuddin area was kept outside the list, as it was said to be in a containment zone. The petitioner states that even if the premises is involved in any criminal investigation/trial, "instead of following a primitive method of keeping the entire premises under lock as an 'out of bound area' a modern or scientific method" should be adopted by the Delhi Police and government to ensure minimum interference with religious rights. The board further said that its representations to the government and police in this regard were unanswered and therefore it was moving this petition, praying for a reassessment of the need for keeping the premises locked, adoption of scientific or advanced methods to secure the condition of interiors of the premises for investigation/ trial purposes, and a direction to the police and government to ensure minimum interference with the operation of the Markaz for religious purposes.