Ten Indonesian nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat conclave at Nizamuddin in March and were arrested by the Mumbai Police on April 23, were produced before a Metropolitan Magistrate’s court in Bandra on Tuesday afternoon. They have been remanded in judicial custody till May 4.
The Bandra police, who had arrested the foreign nationals, did not seek an extension of their custody following which the court sent them to judicial custody. The 10 people will be kept in a special cell at Arthur Road Jail, said police officials.
The 10 were part of a group of 12 people who had come to India on February 29, and after attending the Jamaat event in Delhi came to Mumbai on March 7. They had travelled to various places within the city.
The FIR against the foreigners was registered after the Mumbai Police tracked them down to Bandra on April 1, following which two of the 12 tested positive for COVID-19 and were admitted to Lilavati Hospital. The two foreign nationals are now under home quarantine till May 8. The 10 others were also quarantined for 20 days after which they were arrested.
Soon after it came to light that people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation were infected with the virus, the Mumbai Police issued a notice asking participants to voluntarily disclose their visit failing which an FIR would be registered against them.
The 10 Indonesian nationals were booked under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 304 (ii) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder, 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease that is dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal code.
After the accused were sent to judicial custody, their lawyer Ishrat Khan moved for bail stating that Sections 307 and 304 (ii) were not applicable in the case, and that the remaining sections were bailable.
The court then asked the prosecution to file a reply and set May 4 as date for hearing on the bail plea.