17 Foreign, Two Indian Participants Of Nizamuddin Discourse Found In Bahraich: Official

As many as 17 foreign nationals from Indonesia and Thailand besides two Indian Muslim clerics, who attended an Islamic religious discourse at Nizamuddin early this month, have been rounded up here and have been quarantined, a senior official said on Tuesday. Sixteen out of 190 persons who returned to Bahraich from foreign in March this year, however, are still untraceable, Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vipin Mishra said.

Out of the rounded up persons, the samples of two foreign nationals have been sent to Lucknow for testing, he said. "Following the precautinary measures initiated after the outbreak of COVID-19, the authorities found seven nationals of Thailand, and two clerics from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh respectively, staying in a mosque in Kotwali police station area," said Mishra.

"They had come to Bahraich from Delhi on March 7. These people had informed the local intelligence unit about themselves," he added. The police superintendent said for four days after coming from Thailand, the Muslim clerics were in Delhi”s Nizamuddin. "During interrogation, they said they have been staying in this mosque since March 7,” the SP said.

Mishra said all these Muslim clerics have been admitted to the quarantine ward for suspected coronavirus-hit people made at the trauma centre here. SP Mishra also said 10 Indonesian nationals (clerics), who had come to the city after attending the Nizamuddin congregation, were found staying in the Qureshi Masjid in Bashiratganj area of the city, and they too were quarantined there itself.

"At present, they have been quarantined in the mosque itself," he said.

Dr Atul Srivastava, the nodal doctor for coronavirus infection, said, "Two participants who had come from Thailand had shown symptoms of cold and cough, and their samples have been sent for testing. Prima facie it seems there is no reason to suspect them as coronavirus-infected, as all the participants have quarantined themselves."

"Aadil, one of the 16 missing Indians having address of Bahraich, has been traced to Delhi through mobile location services. Police is taking action in this regard," he added. Tablighi Jamaat, an orthodox Muslim organisation, had held a religious congregation at Nizamuddin in the national capital on March 13.

It was attended by 2,000 odd participants, including 250 foreigners. With 24 of its participants found positive for coronavirus infection, the "markaj" has emerged as an epicentre for the coronavirus spread in the national capital and elsewhere in the country.