An Islamic centre going by the name of Tablighi Jamaat came under spotlight when 24 of its officials were tested positive for COVID-19 in New Delhi. Over 400 people with coronavirus symptoms were admitted to various hospitals and around 1100 were taken to government-run quarantine facilities in the national capital on March 30 & March 31.
Hundreds of persons who returned home after staying at the centre last night might have carried the virus to several other States, authorities said.
Recently, thousands of people from across the nation and various other countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia attended a meeting at the centre earlier this month over a number of days.
A large number of the officials got stuck on the premesis as the country went under lockdown on March 24. Markaz Nizamuddin is the international headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat which is a puritanical Islamic sect.
A case was registered against Maulana Saad and others of Tablighi Jamaat by Delhi Police under Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, read with Sections 269, 270, 271 and 120-B of the IPC, for violation of government directions in respect of restriction of gatherings and safety measures, including social-distancing.
The centre recently released a statement in which it was revealed that large number of participants could not disperse after all means of transport were stopped on March 24 even though they tried to make special arrangements with permission from the authorities, they were not successful. “Under such compelling circumstances, there was no option for Markaz Nizamuddin but to accommodate the stranded visitors with prescribed medical precautions till the situation becomes conducive to their movement or arrangements are made by the authorities,” the statement read.
Participants at the recent meeting included people from various states such as Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala — in cases already detected.
A Srinagar-based businessman who was one of the attentdee died of the disease on March 26. He had travelled by all the three medium of transports to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and back to Jammu and Kashmir. At least 300 people who came in contact with him have been put under quarantine.
