SC asks Centre to decide on foreign Tablighi Jamaat workers' request for permission to return within a week

New Delhi: The foreign citizens, who are facing criminal proceedings in Delhi for participating in the Tablighi Jamaat Congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz during March, have en asked to submit representations before the nodal officer proposed by the Central Government seeking permission to go back to their home countries.

The Central Government has proposed the name of Joy Thirkey, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi as the nodal officer to process the representations of foreign nationals facing cases in Delhi.

A bench led by Justice A M Khanwilkar ordered that such representations should be decided, preferably within a period of four days, but not later than a week from their receipt.

The bench directed that all revision petitions, filed against the order of discharge of the foreign nationals, be disposed off expeditiously subject to undertaking from the accused.

It also directed the related departments of the government to have no other objections to the Tablighi Jamaat workers' travelling back to their countries of origin.

44 foreign nationals were tried in the case. Out of these, eight have been fully discharged.

The Centre had told the apex court on August 6, that the lookout notice against the petitioners will be withdrawn.

"We hope and trust that the concerned authorities will ensure the transmission of records to the designated courts and the trials will be completed expeditiously", the bench told.

The bench asked the petitioners to make representations to the nodal officer.