Coronavirus: Case against youth connected with Tablighi Jamaat for spitting at doctor in quarantine facility

A 28-year-old man lodged in a quarantine centre in Delhi was on Wednesday booked for allegedly spitting on a doctor and other medical staff.

Mohd Irshad, who is at the quarantine centre at EWS Flats in Bakkarwala, was charged under Sections 188 (disobeying instructions of public servant), 269, 270 and 271 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act.

Follow live updates on coronavirus

The registration of the case came following the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Punjabi Bagh filing a complaint after he received a report from Dr Sanjay Kumar, who was in charge of the medical team posted at the quarantine facility. Irshad is a follower of Tablighi Jamaat and he was among those who were evacuated in late March from its headquarters.

Kumar informed the SDM that Irshad, who is lodged in Room No 220, has "misbehaved" with him and his medical staff and spat on them "despite the repeated warning not to do so".

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

The medical team at the facility claimed that Irshad spat on them and insisted on giving cough syrup to him. The cough syrup was issued to him after "repeated intimidation by the patient", they claimed.

They demanded that the authorities take stock of "this serious incident" and provide necessary security to them.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too had demanded deployment of police in hospitals where Covid-19 patients are admitted.

On April 2, Delhi Health Secretary Padmini Singla shot off a letter to Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava seeking police deployment in hospitals where Tablighi Jamaat followers are admitted were allegedly creating trouble.

Singla also referred to an incident in Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital on Wednesday where a Tablighi Jamaat follower attempted to commit suicide but was rescued by staff. In another incident in Narela DDA quarantine facility, two others from the outfit escaped and were later tracked to Patparganj.

"...Patients particularly those transferred from Markaz (Tablighi Jamaat headquarters), are creating a law and order problem and commotion in the hospitals which is becoming very difficult for the hospital staff to handle," Singla wrote in her letter demanding police deployment.