Tablighi Jamaat members committed heinous crime, action must be taken against them: Ex UP DGP Vikram Singh

Jun 07, 2020

Gautam Buddh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 7 : Vikram Singh, former Director-General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday said that Tablighi Jamaat members have committed "heinous" crime and it will be very unfortunate if action is not taken against them.
"There are many provisions in the law. It is a heinous crime under the Epidemic Diseases Act and under Section 269, 270 and other relevant sections. They, as foreigners, should have given information about their arrival to senior superintendent of police. Especially, it was the responsibility of the host. If they have done some anti-national activities, they can also be booked under UAPA," Singh told ANI.
"It will be very unfortunate if action is not taken against them. What they have done is against the people and the issue should not be politicised," he said.
On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh filed charge-sheet against 83 Tablighi Jamaat members, including 57 foreign nationals, who were arrested in six different cases registered against them in Saharanpur for allegedly spreading coronavirus, as also not informing the district administration about their participation in the Jamaat's congregation in Delhi in early March.
The Government of India has 'banned' over 2,200 blacklisted foreign nationals for 10 years from travelling to the country for their involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. These foreigners were involved in Tablighi activities and went to Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz, which reportedly became a major COVID-19 hotspot.