IT News
Mumbai, April 18
24 foreigners who had come to attend the recent Markaz congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi, were arrested on charges of overstaying in India, after expiry of visa by the Ahmednagar police (Maharashtra) on Friday.
They were arrested after they were discharged from civil hospital where they were quarantined. Besides, 5 Indians who were functioning as their interpreters, were also arrested. Five more foreigners will be arrested after they are discharged from the hospital.
The arrested foreigners are from different countries including Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Brunei, Djibouti, Benin and Decota. They have been shifting their places and were residing at different religious places, including Mukund Nagar, Jamkhed and Newasa. These places are known for Hindu shrines as well as Muslim places of worship.
Initially four of the foreigners were found to be infected by COVID 19. As such they were admitted to the hospital and others accompanying them were isolated and were quarantined, Police Inspector Dilip Pawar said.
Till now Maharashtra Police have arrested 172 Tablighi event attendees, while 50 are still incommunicado. The congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, was attended by nearly 4,000 people. Several of these attendees later tested positive for coronavirus, while some of them have died of the disease. The congregation was attended by 1,400 people from Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Home Minister Amit Deshmukh said that the state government has till now traced and quarantined 1,350 of them. The remaining 50 have kept their mobiles (phones) switched off. Hence, we urge them to voluntarily approach the government. The government is already taking steps to quarantine such people to ensure that the coronavirus does not spread in other parts of the state.