FIR against 11 foreign preachers for violating visa, lockdown rules

Apr 09, 2020 07:42 AM IST

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Police have lodged an FIR against 11 Tablighi Jamaat foreign preachers on charges of violation of visa rules and 21-day nationwide lockdown, an official said here on Wednesday.

The three Jamaat preachers from China and eight from Kyrgyzstan are currently in institutional quarantine at Police Constable Training Centre (PCTC) at Swaspur under Jadugora police station area in East Singhbhum district. They were caught hiding in a mosque at Rargaon on Ranchi-Tata NH-33 under Tamar PS area on March 24 night and brought to PCTC where they have in quarantine since then. They had come to Ranchi from New Delhi on March 19.

“We filed an FIR against the 11 foreign preachers on charges of violating visa rules and nationwide lockdown. The case has been filed under sections 188, 269 and 270 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 14(b) of Foreigners Act, 1946. Further action will be initiated as per the guidelines of the higher authorities,” said Rajiv Ranjan, Jadugora PS officer incharge.

Jamshedpur senior superintendent of police Anoop Birthare confirmed the development and said passports of all the 11 foreign preachers have been seized and they would be kept under custody in PCTC quarantine centre for a 28-day period. “After their quarantine period is over, we will produce them in court and send to judicial custody whereas they too can appeal for bail,” said Birthare. Police have sent detailed report to the Union ministry of external affairs and home ministry in the matter and further action would be initiated as per their guidelines, he added.

East Singhbhum civil surgeon Dr Maheshwar Prasad said the second Covid-19 test reports of these 11 foreign preachers have also come negative.

As per official records, a total of 111 people linked to Tablighi Jamaat have been quarantined in East Singhbhum district, while 18 have been quarantined in West Singhbhum and 10 in Seraikela-Kharsawan district. Teams of IB and CID had visited the PCTC quarantine facility and interrogated all the 11 preachers on March 27.