After making all efforts to trace the missing Tablighi Jamaat members who attended the Nizamuddin markaz meet in Delhi, the UP Police have now decided to take stern action both against the Jamaatis and those giving them shelter.
After Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) police started registering cases against those sheltering Jamaatis, Azamgarh police too announced cash rewards to those providing inputs on Jamaatis holed up in the district.
Prior to this, the state government had appealed to Jamaatis to come out for medical help and stop spread of coronavirus but that failed to yield the desired results and the Jamaat members went into hiding, causing chaos and panic amongst the residents.
In Azamgarh, the police announced a reward of Rs 5,000 for people giving inputs on missing Jamaatis. The police have inputs that several Jamaatis are holed up in the district and refuse to come out for test or treatment. So far 35 Jamaatis have been quarantined in the district.
Sources said some districts were also planning to announce cash rewards and take stringent action against those sheltering the Jamaat members, so that the Jamaatis could be scanned, treated and quarantined.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also ordered a probe into the missing Jamaatis who attended the Nizamuddin markaz meet but were now missing.
Around 70 such Jamaat members are reported missing from the state and some of them have even moved to other states.
Meanwhile, addressing media persons on Friday, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said that of the total 431 positive cases in UP, around 300 were found in hotspots where there are nearly 5.31 lakh people.
“If we strictly contain infection in these hotspots, then the virus will not spread to other places. Hence we have been forced to take the stringent measure of sealing these areas,” he said.
Awasthi said that 41 community kitchens were functioning in these hotspots so that people did not starve and doorstep delivery of essentials was being made to help them.
The additional chief secretary further said that testing facilities and COVID hospitals in the state would be increased. He asked authorities to take up these on a war footing.
Awasthi said that so far 13,208 FIRs had been registered in the state under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for violation of lockdown and 42,359 persons had been booked. Besides, he said, 344 FIRs were registered till now against 436 people under Essential Commodities Act. Also over 31 lakh vehicles were challaned, 20,000 were seized and Rs 5.87 crore was realised as fine.