Allahabad University Professor sent to Naini jail for sheltering foreign Tablighi Jamaat members

Image courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: As many as 30 people, including an Allahabad University Professor and 16 foreign participants of Tablighi Jamaat meet at Nizamuddin in New Delhi, have been sent to judicial custody on Tuesday (April 21). The hearing took place at Mehbooba Guest House in Karali by a magistrate who sent all to Naini jail. 

Notably, all 30 people were arrested by the police on Monday night. An FIR against them was lodged in Kareli, Shahganj, and Shivkuti police stations. Of these foreigners Tablighi Jamaat members, 7 are from Indonesia and 9 belong to Thailand. 

Professor Mohammad Shahid of the Political Science Department of Allahabad University is accused of providing shelter to these foreign Jamaat members secretly. Along with the Foreigners Act, a case has been registered to hide information about coronavirus and under the Epidemic Act against these foreigners, while others have been accused of hiding information about COVID-19 and under the Epidemic Act.

Earlier on March 31 night, foreigner Tablighi Jamaat members were caught hiding in Abdulla Mosque in Prayagraj. In the Corona test, an Indonesian was then tested positive and was discharged merely two days ago. 

Meanwhile, all these people sent to jail will be kept in separate barracks where social distancing norms will also be followed.

City Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Shrivastava told PTI that Prof Mohammed Shahid was arrested on charges of arranging the shelter for Indonesians among the foreigner Tablighi Jamaat members in a mosque in Pryagraj and not informing the police about them.

Shrivastava said other arrested included nine Thailand nationals, one each from Kerala and West Bengal besides eleven others associated with Abdullah mosque and Hera mosques at Kareli in the city.

The SP reportedly said during the investigation, it transpired that Prof Shahid had attended the Tablighi Jamaat met at Nizamuddin in New Delhi last month along with many of these foreigners and had shielded this information from the police, besides arranging for the foreigners' stay in local mosques.

All 16 foreigners had come to India on a tourist visa but had been indulging here in propagating their religion Islam, Shrivastava said.

Meanwhile, as many as 153 fresh coronavirus cases, including 65 from Agra and 33 from Rae Bareli, were reported in Uttar Pradesh today, taking the total count of such cases in the state to 1,337 from 53 districts, the health department said.

Three COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, taking the death toll due to the disease to 21 in the state.

"Two deaths were reported from Moradabad and one from Aligarh," Dr Vikasendu Agrawal, Joint Director and State Surveillance Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said in a statement issued here.

The number of coronavirus cases jumped from two to 35 in Rae Bareli, with several people testing positive after coming in contact with participants at a Tablighi Jamaat event, officials said.

Till Monday, the district had only two coronavirus patients, both of whom had attended the religious congregation in Delhi last month. The area where they lived was declared a containment zone and the people in the neighbourhood were quarantined, the officials said.

According to Chief Development Officer Abhishek Goyal, the district reported 33 fresh cases in the last 24 hours and all the patients were admitted to the Kripalu Institute in Munshiganj. 

The count of active cases in the state stands at 1,154 as of now. As many as 162 COVID-19 patients have recovered from the disease and discharged in the state so far. On Tuesday, 22 patients were discharged.