The court of Judicial Commissioner of Ranchi Navneet Kumar on Monday rejected bail petition of 17 foreigners associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, who were arrested by Ranchi police on March 30 for misusing tourist visa.
This is on the second occasion in the last 27 days when the court rejected their petition. On May 12 also, the accused currently lodged at camp jail at hotwar in Ranchi had applied for bail petition and the same was rejected.
However, on May 12 the court had granted bail to Haji Meraj alias Merajuddin in the same case. Merajuddin is a resident of Hindpiri under Hindpiri police station area. As per the FIR he had arranged shelters to these foreigners at different houses and local mosques without informing the local administration at a time when the Central and state government had issued alert about Covid 19.
To Merajuddin the court had directed his release on bail after furnishing a bail bond of Rs 5000 with two sureties of the like amount.
FIR was lodged against 18 people including 17 foreigners and Merajuddin at Hindpiri police station on the instruction of state government and this was the first FIR in Jharkhand related to Cvid 19.
They were booked under section 188, 269, 270 and 271 of IPC besides section 3 of Epidemic Disease Act, section 13/14 (B) (C) of Foreigners Act 1946 and section 51 of National Disaster Act.
But Merajuddin was not booked under Foreigners Act.
The court heard their bail application through video conferencing and directed to keep them under judicial custody at camp jail at Hotwar.
One out of the 16 who was Malaysian woman was tested positive and she was the first positive case of Covid 19 in the State. All of them had travelled to Ranchi from Delhi in the mid of March after participating in the religious meeting organized by Tablighi Jamaat. On the basis of her contact history other people of Hindpiri were found infected with Covid 19.
Notably a day before their bail petitions were rejected; Ranchi police formally sent a proposal to the Central government to blacklist them.
They will stay in India till the court trial is completed. If they are convicted they will have to stay in jail till the punishment period as prescribed by court. After that they will not be allowed to visit India.