The Madhya Pradesh police on Thursday registered 57 cases against lockdown violators, including seven against 64 Tablighi Jamaat attendees who had travelled to India to attend the Markaz event. Cases have been registered against 10 individuals from various other parts of the country and their 13 locals contacts, reports Times of India.
According to the reports, the foreign Jamaatis have been booked under relevant sections of Foreigner’s Act along with other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Rajat Saklecha, ASP of Zone-1 said that Aishbagh police have registered three cases against Jamaatis in which 29 foreigner Jamaatis along with two outstation Jamaatis and six local persons were booked. He added that the foreigner Jamaatis had flouted the VISA rules by coming to India on tourist visas and indulging in religious activities in the country
“Neither the foreign Jamaatis nor their local contacts provided information of their arrival to the city to local administration and police,” Saklecha added.
Similarly, Mangalwara police have registered a case against seven foreigner Jamaatis, two outstation Jamaatis and one local contact. Shyamla Hills police have also registered a case against 10 foreigner Jamaatis, two outstation Jamaatis and two local contacts.
Piplani police have registered a case against 12 foreigner Jamaatis, two outstation Jamaatis and two local contacts. Talaiya police have also registered a case against six foreigner Jamaatis, two outstation Jamaatis and two local contacts.
The Bhopal police said that the foreigner Jamaatis will be fined and deported as and when the flights start operating. Presently all the accused are in quarantine.
Tablighi Jamaat members, who are emerging as the sole reason for the sudden spike in the number of coronavirus cases in India, are turning out to be quite a headache for the authorities. In India, the Jamaat has come under severe criticism for not only defying the lockdown and organising a congregation but also spreading the virus across the country.