18 Malaysian nationals linked to Tablighi Jamaat intercepted at Delhi, Chennai airports

Eighteen Malaysian nationals who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation that is linked with 30 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in the country at present were on Sunday intercepted at Chennai and Delhi airports, just before they were to fly out of the country.

Ten of them were prevented by Immigration officials from flying out of Chennai in a chartered flight arranged to ferry stranded Malaysian nationals, while eight were intercepted at Delhi airport and taken to a quarantine facility.

The action came days after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) revoked the visas and blacklisted 960 foreigners belonging to Tablighi Jamaat on charges of violating tourist visa norms by indulging in missionary activities. It had also directed state police forces to register cases against these foreigners for violating Foreigners Act and laws related to epidemics as well as relevant sections of Indian Penal Code.

Ten Malaysian nationals, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month and came to Tamil Nadu violating their tourist visa conditions, were not allowed to leave the country from Chennai airport. The immigration authorities, who intercepted them, handed over all Malaysian nationals to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials.

Hiding their travel history, these 10 were among 127 Malaysian nationals who had come to the airport to board the aircraft scheduled to leave for to Kuala Lumpur at 10.40 am. Sources in Chennai told DH that the Malaysian nationals were in Tamil Nadu travelling to several places, including the lockdown period, after arriving in the state on March 13.

“They had travelled to several places in Tenkasi district and were trying to leave the country by hiding their travel history,” a source said, adding that they are being taken to the Stanley Medical College Hospital for testing. They are likely to be lodged at a quarantine facility after due process.

In Delhi, eight Malaysians were among a group of people, who were to board the flight OD203 of Malindo Airways. However, the immigration officials identified these eight persons as those linked to Tablighi Jamaat, whose members had spread out in the country after attending a religious gathering in south Delhi's Nizamuddin in mid-March. At least 17 deaths are linked to Tablighi Jamaat followers or those came in contact with them.

Officials said they were de-boarded from the Delhi-Mumbai-Kuala Lumpur flight, which was to depart at 12:40 PM, and sent to a government quarantine facility after immigration officials handed them over to Delhi Police. The flight later departed with the rest of the 22 people who were to be evacuated.

Out of the 485 positive cases in Tamil Nadu, 422 belong to the Nizamuddin cluster while Delhi has 301 out of 445 cases in the same cluster. Meanwhile, police in various states are going ahead with registering cases against foreigners with Tablighi Jamaat, whose visas were revoked.

In Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, ten Indonesians, including five women, who attended the religious gathering, have been booked Sections 188 (disobeying a public servant's directions), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and those of Epidemic Diseases Act and Foreigners Act, 1897.

They have been placed under quarantine while a local guide and four persons who provided them accommodation were also booked. In a similar action in Navi Mumbai, ten Philippines nationals were booked under similar sections.

According to the government, 30% of the COVID-19 cases in the country is linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation and around 21,000 people who either attended the gathering or those who came in contact with them have been quarantined across the country.

As of now, COVID-19 cases linked to Tablighi Jamaat from 17 states have been detected in 17 states, including Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Jharkhand.