Hazrat Ji Maulana Saad Sahab

Bhopal : A district court in India’s Bhopal city has sent 69 people, including 54 foreigners associated with Islamic missionary group Tablighi Jamaat to jail for “spreading coronavirus” in the city.

A bench of Justice Suresh Sharma ordered 14-day judicial custody for the 51 members of Tablighi Jamaat on Friday, while 18 members were sent to jail a day earlier on May 14 until May 27. The court also revoked their bail pleas.

The 54 foreigners who have been sent to judicial custody belong to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, South Africa, Tanzania, Canada, London and Pennsylvania, said the police reports.

According to the district police, they returned to Bhopal, capital of the central state of Madhya Pradesh after participating in a religious event organised in New Delhi, and allegedly hid their travel history which led to a massive jump in Covid-19 cases in the state capital.

The police have booked them under Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 51 of National Disaster Management Act. Besides, the 54 foreigners have also been slapped with section 13 and 14 of Foreigners Act, 1946 and their passports have also been seized by the court.

The Bhopal police presented them in the court after keeping them in a month-long quarantine after registering FIRs against them. More members will be presented in the court, claimed a senior official of Bhopal police.