UP: Allahabad University professor, 16 foreigner Tablighi Jamaatis among 30 arrested, sent to temporary jail in Naini

Kapil Dixit | TNN | Apr 21, 2020, 20:58 IST

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PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad University professor, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event at Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi, was arrested late Monday night along with 16 foreigners and 13 others after separate FIRs were registered against them in three different police stations of city. They were produced before a judicial magistrate on Tuesday and were remanded to judicial custody.
The professor is accused of arranging accommodation for the nine Jamaat attendees and not informing police and administration about them.
The judicial magistrate sanctioned 14 days’ judicial remand after which all the 30 persons were taken to a temporary jail in Naini for keeping them in isolation.
SP (City) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava told TOI, “All 30 people, including 16 foreigners and Allahabad University (AU) professor were produced before the judicial magistrate on Tuesday evening. Once the judicial remand was sanctioned, they were taken to temporary jail set up in Naini prison to be kept in isolation.”
“Among those arrested, 21 had attended the Nizamuddin Jamaat and took shelter in city when the lockdown was announced,” he added.
Among the 16 foreigners, there are nine Thai nationals and seven Indonesians. The other 13 include jamaatis from Kerala and Bengal and locals who gave them shelter , said police officials.
Prayagraj SSP Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj told TOI, “We arrested the AU professor late on Monday night after collecting adequate evidence against him. He made arrangements for Jamaat members’ stay in mosques at Kareli and Shahganj when they came to the city on March 22 after attending Nizamuddin meet on March 12-13. The professor did not inform police about them.”
“Two separate FIRs under sections 188 (violation of norms), 269 (acting negligently and likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life), and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of IPC, section 3 of Epidemic Diseases Act, and 14 C of Foreigners Act at Shahganj and Kareli police stations,” he added.
The FIR against AU professor was lodged on April 9, 2020 at Shivkuti police station.
The foreign nationals were quarantined at different centres after being caught on April 22. A 32-year-old Indonesian has tested positive for Covid-19 infection in April first week and was admitted to Covid Level One hospital in Kotwa and was discharged three days back after his swab sample tested negative for the third time.