Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad responds to Crime Branch notice, submits documents

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New Delhi: Maulana Saad, the Tablighi Jamaat chief, who has been booked for organising a religious congregation at Nizamuddin's Markaz, has responded to the questions asked by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police.  

According to Saad's lawyer Advocate Fuzail Ayyubi, they have been responding to questions by the Crime Branch since past several days. He said that the Crime Branch had also sought a few documents, which have been handed over to the officials. 

Ayyubi also stated that Maulana Saad has tested negative for COVID-19. "Saad has already joined the probe by responding to the notices of the investigation officer (IO) and we have already written to the IO for fully cooperating in the probe," he said. He added that the test on Saad was conducted at a private lab; however, the Crime Branch has asked to get a fresh test report from a government-run-lab. 

The head of the Jamaat`s Nizamuddin Markaz was in the centre of controversy over holding the global congregation amid the coronavirus crisis and is being investigated in cases lodged against him under various sections, including by the Enforcement Directorate.

But his lawyer Fuzail Ahmed Ayyubi said that they were cooperating with the police and the investigative agencies have not asked the Maulana to join investigations.

In his defence, Saad had stated earlier, "I am not sure whether this can be called a conspiracy. There has been more than one instance in the past where a person has been put to trial and proclaimed guilty by the media, only to be exonerated later by the courts after appreciating the correct and relevant facts."

The Markaz chief said that they believed in the judicial system of the country and the truth shall prevail.