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The Uttar Pradesh government is coming down hard on those Tablighi Jamaat members, including foreign nationals, who attended the Nizamuddin markaz meet in Delhi and chose to sneak to different parts of the state and did not report for check-ups, resulting in the spread of coronavirus across the state.
After being quarantined for 14 days, those who have tested negative for the virus are now being sent to jail for violating the Epidemic Diseases Act and provisions of the Foreigners Act.
In Uttar Pradesh, the total number of coronavirus positive cases is over 1,337 and of this, Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts account for over 840.
A total of 92 foreign Jamaat members were put in quarantine across the state and now they are being sent to jail. Another 200 Jamaatis have been jailed for violation of lockdown and Epidemic Diseases Act. The government has set up 26 special jails to lodge them.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in Lucknow on Wednesday that the government would not spare anyone who violated the law and threatened the lives of the people.
“Jamaatis, who were earlier quarantined and did not test positive for coronavirus, will now be sent to 26 jails that have been set up to lodge these people,” he said.
A total of 45 FIRs were filed against 259 foreigners who attended the Nizamuddin markaz meet and later slithered to different areas of the state and hid themselves instead of getting tested for the viral infection.
Earlier, 325 foreigners, including 66 Nepalese citizens, were identified staying in different parts of Uttar Pradesh. The police confiscated their passports for violating Foreigners Act by attending a religious gathering against a tourist visa.
Lucknow reported the maximum number of 23 Jamaatis of foreign origin being sent to jail. Earlier on April 11, 17 foreign Jamaatis were sent to jail in Bahraich and 16 were sent to jail in Bulandshahr. Similarly, six foreign Jamaat members were jailed in Prayagraj on Monday while 14 were jailed in Jaunpur and 11 in Bhadohi.
Besides, 3,000 Jamaatis were identified across the state and of them, 2,800 were quarantined. They were also accused of violating lockdown norms and FIRs were lodged against them under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code. A total of 33 Indian Jamaatis were jailed in Bulandshahr, three in Bhadohi, 26 in Mau and 30 in Jaunpur.