Cops trace 126 from Gujarat who attended Nizamuddin meet

The Gujarat police on Monday said they have so far identified and traced 126 people from the state who had attended the Islamic congregation at Delhi's Nizamuddin area, believed to be a key source for the spread of coronavirus, and a dozen of them have tested positive.

Among these 126 attendees, 12 persons, all from Ahmedabad, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, said Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha.

Search is still on to trace and identify others from Gujarat who had attended the gathering held last month at the headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat, he said.

The mega meet in Nizamuddin has been linked to dozens of coronavirus positive cases and also multiple fatalities across the country.

Follow live updates of coronavirus cases in India here

A case of lockdown violation is being lodged against one of the attendees for falsely claiming that he came back to Gujarat before the shutdown was imposed (on March 25), he said.

"That person told the police that he had arrived in Gujarat from Delhi on March 11. However, our investigation revealed that he actually returned on March 27.

"Thus, we have started the process to lodge a case of lockdown violation under the Disaster Management Act" Jha told reporters in Gandhinagar.

A 70-year-old man from Bhavnagar, who had attended the gathering, has died due to coronavirus.

Gujarat has so far reported more than 140 COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths.