Case Against 13 In Chhattisgarh For Sheltering Tablighi Jamaat Members In Mosque

Thirteen people, including three COVID-19 patients, were booked on Saturday in Chhattisgarh's Korba for allegedly hiding information about the presence of Tablighi Jamaat members in a mosque, police said.

The 13 people are the residents of Purani Basti area, a COVID-19 hotspot in the state.

The 16 Tablighi Jamaat members, who were allowed to stay in a mosque, had come from Maharashtra last month, an official said.

"They hid information about the 16 Tablighi Jamaat members from the police. They also organised mass prayers and a feast in the mosque with the Tablighi Jamaat members, thus flouting lockdown and social distancing directives," he said.

They have been charged under sections of the IPC and Epidemic Diseases Act but no arrests have been made so far, he said.

A 16-year-old boy in this Tablighi Jamaat group had tested positive for the coronavirus on April 4, after which another eight got infected, he added.