24 Tablighi Jamaat members booked in HP so far: Police

Police have so far booked 24 Tablighi Jamaat members in Himachal Pradesh, 13 of whom had attended a congregation at the organisation's New Delhi headquarter, now emerging as a coronavirus hotspot, an official spokesperson said on Friday.

The remaining 11 had come to Shimla from Paonta Sahib tehsil of Sirmaur district, violating the lockdown restrictions and the curfew imposed in the state. All 11 were arrested on Wednesday and placed in quarantine, he said.

Six FIRs were registered against the 24 Tablighi Jamaat members under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in five police districts of the hill-state in the last three days, the official said.

Two FIRs were lodged in Una district against nine members, one in Shimla against 11, one FIR in Baddi against two members and two FIRs against two more members in Kangra and Bilaspur, he added.

The 11 members arrested in Shimla were booked under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the IPC, DGP Sita Ram Mardi said on Thursday.

They arrived in Nerwa area of Shimla to go to their homes in different villages amid the curfew, a police officer said.

Eight of them are residents of Kima Chandrawali village, whereas two are residents of Bharanu village. The driver, Shabeer, is a resident of Paonta Sahib, he added.

All of them have been arrested and place in quarantine at the Panchayat Bhawan, he said.