Some Malaysians caught in Tablighi Jamaat row leave India

They were among hundreds of foreign nationals detained by Indian police more than three months ago for participating in Islamic prayer and preaching events at the Jamaat's headquarters known as Markaz in New Delhi's Nizamuddin area in March in alleged violation of their visitor visa rules.

More than 100 Malaysians appeared in a Delhi court recently and had their cases disposed of in a plea bargain arrangement in which the defendants pleaded guilty in expectation of lenient sentences.

Dozens of them left New Delhi on a flight on Friday night, according to people familiar with the case.

The charges against them also included not following government guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.

"More than 950 people of different nationalities were facing similar charges. Most of them have opted for plea bargaining as a legal resort to expedite the process of their return to home countries," Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, a lawyer representing Markaz Nizamuddin, told Bernama.

"However, some foreign nationals are staying back in India to prove their innocence in court," he said.