Coronavirus Bhopal: Thousands linked to Delhi congregation have tested positive for coronavirus. (File)
Madhya Pradesh police have registered a case against 64 foreign nationals linked to the Delhi congregation of Islamic sect Tablighi Jamaat, which is the largest cluster of coronavirus cases in the country. They have been charged with violating official order and visa rules. The coronavirus suspects - natives of Indonesia, Myanmar and Ivory Coast - have been quarantined.
A case has also been registered against 10 Indians for assisting the Jamaat members, and 13 locals who provided accommodation to them.
The Bhopal Police told NDTV they will be arrested as soon as they are declared coronavirus-free.
"All those against whom cases have been registered are either being treated at hospitals after being found coronavirus positive or have been quarantined," senior Bhopal police officer Upendra Jain said.
"They will be arrested only after it's medically established that they are fine and won't spread the infection," he added.
Over thousand people linked to the congregation have tested positive for the virus across the country. The state governments are tracing and taking legal action against them.
Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, the leader of the sect, is missing for days. His lawyer recently told news agency PTI that he was in self-quarantine.
Madhya Pradesh has so far reported 453 cases, with 14 fresh cases being reported in Bhopal on Friday. Indore, which has emerged as the epicentre of the deadly disease in the state, has 235 cases.
Nearly 900 new novel coronavirus cases and 37 deaths have been reported in the country ever since Thursday, the Health Ministry said on Friday. This is the largest ever single-day spike in the number of cases and deaths, the ministry added, and takes the total number of COVID-19 cases in India to 6,761 with at least 206 deaths linked to the virus.