Ten Bangladeshi Tablighi Jamaat members booked by police for flouting visa norms

Though they had come on tourist visas, they had allegedly been preaching

prayagraj-mosque-police-search-tablighi-attendees-PTI Representational image: Police personnel during a search operation for devotees who had recently attended the religious congregation at Tabligh-e-Jamaat's Markaz in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, in Prayagraj, Wednesday, April 1, 2020 | PTI

The Palwal police today booked ten Bangladeshi nationals, all members of 'Tablighi Jamaat', for violating visa norms. Three out of these have tested positive for COVID-19 and are under treatment. The accused were part of the group of twelve 'Jamaatis' who were evacuated from a local mosque in Hathin block two days ago. Haling from Bangladesh, they had been travelling on tourist visas but were busy preaching in various mosques of Mewat.

“All of them were shifted to isolation homes and tested for COVID-19. So far three have tested positive though they do not show any major symptoms. They were violating the conditions of visa issued to them and thus have been booked for the same”, said Palwal Deputy Commisoner Naresh Narwal.

The district administration has also gone ahead and suspended five local 'sarpanches' for not updating the administration about the foreign nationals being harboured in local mosques. The 'sarpanches' belong to Hunchpuri, Mehluka, Duranchi, Mathepur and Chaaynsa villages. The 'numberdars' and local watchmen along with the duty magistrate of Hathin block have been issued show cause notice regarding the same. The administration has sealed all five villages suspecting COVID-19 spread from the 'Jamaatis' and will be screening the residents.

“It was the duty of local Panchayats to update us about the foreign nationals living in the village but they did not do so and thus have been penalized. We are conducing raids across the district”, added DC Narwal.

Tablighi Jamaat congregations are a common feature in Mewat area of Haryana inhibited by Meo Muslims.

Meanwhile in district Nuh, 598 'Jamaatis' have so far been traced, evacuated and quarantined. Out of these 57 have been identified as foreign nationals who have been lodged in isolation home made in local girls college. Out of these foreign nationals nine have shown COVID-19 symptoms and samples have been sent for testing to PGIMER Rohtak in Haryana.

Accoridng to the Home Ministry, 960 foreigners linked to the Tablighi Jamaat have been blacklisted with their tourist visas cancelled.

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