17 Tablighi Jammat members to be jailed after second quarantine cycle

Gaurav Pandey | TNN | Updated: Apr 30, 2020, 13:52 IST

Ranchi SSP Anish Gupta

RANCHI: Seventeen foreign members of Tablighi Jammat, booked by Ranchi police for violations of visa rules and regulations on April 10, will be shifted to jail after they complete their second cycle under quarantine at a Khelgaon-based centre.
Talking to TOI on Wednesday, Ranchi SSP Anish Gupta said: “We have presented all the accused before the chief judicial magistrate and they will be transferred to jail once they complete their quarantine period. We have written to the jail authorities to accommodate them as per the judicial order. We will proceed further once we receive their guidelines.”
Gupta said their quarantine period was extended after a second member of the group tested positive for Covid-19 on the day the group was presented before the judicial officer. “The decision was taken on the doctor’s advice,” he added.
The 17 foreigners were shifted to the quarantine centre on March 29 after a police and district administration team found them at Badi Masjid area in Hindpiri. The Union ministry of home affairs had informed the authorities that they were living in the city without informing the administration about their arrival to Ranchi.
Two days after the group was put under quarantine, a 22-year-old Malaysian woman, who was part of the group, tested positive for Covid-19 on March 31, becoming the first case from Jharkhand. The women was declared cured on April 21.
The group was scheduled to be transferred to jail, but a 33-year-old resident of Trinidad and Tobago islands tested positive on April 18 and the plan was deferred and the whole group was asked to remain under quarantine.
When contacted, doctors at the quarantine centre confirmed that the foreign nationals have been advised to remain at the centre. “They were scheduled to be released from the centre soon after the Malaysian woman was declared cured, but we detected another positive case from the group and decided to extend their quarantine as all of the members were housed at the same facility,” said Dr Santosh.
IG (Prisons) Shashi Ranjan said: “We have received communication from police and have directed district administration to send a proper proposal of the same after evaluating the situation based on which further decision will be taken.”