Bhopal: Police arrest over 60 foreign members of Tablighi Jamaat

The Police have arrested around 64 foreigners from Bhopal for violating the Foreigners Act and the law of the land. The accused have been identified as the members of Tablighi Jamaat. They were booked for participating in various religious programmes of the organisation in violation of Foreigners Act and under the Indian Penal Code, a senior officer said on Saturday.

Seven cases were already registered against them under visa norms at various police stations in Bhopal.

Tablighi Jamaat has been in the spotlight over the infamous religious congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi that played a notorious role in spreading the Covid 19 across the country. Many Covid-19 cases were reported when some Tablighis travelled back to their respective home states.

According to reports, some of the arrested persons had earlier tested positive for coronavirus and all of them were placed under quarantine.

“Cases were registered against the foreigner Jamaatis for the violation of visa conditions under the Foreigners Act. They had arrived in India on tourist visas under which they can’t participate in religious activities,” Bhopal Police Range Inspector General (IG) Upendra Jain told PTI.

Upendra Jain said the police arrested the Jamaatis on Friday after their bail application was rejected by a local court.

According to reports, the arrested foreigners hailed from countries like Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Tanzania, South Africa, Myanmar and others. Quoting an official media reported, a total of 64 foreigners were arrested under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and provisions of the Disaster Management Act and Foreigners’ Act.