Bihar: Four cops injured in attack by group owing allegiance to Tabligh-e-Jamaat, police say

Four policemen were injured when a group of people owing allegiance to Tabligh-e-Jamaat assembled in a village here allegedly attacked them as the men in uniform admonished them for defying the ongoing lockdown, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and efforts are underway to nab others, he said.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Madhubani, Satya Prakash, said it is not known whether any of the congregators has returned from Tabligh-e-Jamaat's Markaz (headquarter) in Delhi's Nizamuddin West area, which has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot.

The incident took place late on Tuesday night when a police party went to Girdargunj village in Andhra Dhari block of the district after information was received that a large number of people had gathered there under the banner of Tabligh-e- Jamaat, he said.

At the spot, a heated exchange ensued between the police party and those assembled. The participants of the gathering clashed with the policemen, he added.

Prakash said four assailants have been arrested and police are trying to identify and nab the others.

It was not immediately known why the group had assembled in the village.

Earlier, Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, had confirmed that 81 people from Bihar attended the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin before the nationwide lockdown was imposed.

Out of them 30 have been traced to Buxar and Patna districts and their samples sent for testing.

Bihar Water Resources Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha on Tuesday appealed to people who have returned to the state after attending the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin to identify themselves by calling a helpline number 104 or visiting the nearest government hospital.