New Delhi: Delhi Police Crime Branch conducted raids at several places in the national capital and surrounding areas till late Thursday in search of those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi last month as they are suspected to be infected with the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19).
The police were also questioning several people whom they have taken into custody. According to sources, Maulana Saad Kandhlawi, the controversial head of Markaz Tablighi Jamaat, who is absconding since an FIR was registered against him, has been served a notice of inquiry.
A Delhi Police source said: “On Thursday, the wanted men have been searched in several areas, including outside Delhi. A lot of clues have been found in the FIR about Maulana Saad. Hopefully, they will be in front of Delhi Police Crime Branch soon.”
Meanwhile, the police in Greater Noida have nabbed two coronavirus suspects who were present at the Tablighi Jamaat meet.
DCP Greater Noida (zone-three) Rajesh Kumar Singh told IANS on late Thursday that the corona suspects — Md. Azam and Danish Khan, have also confessed that they, along with 11 other companions, had disappeared from the Tablighi headquarters.
“All of them reached Alwar in Rajasthan. Police arrested eight people there. Azam and Danish escaped from there. Three other persons who fled with them are suspected to be hiding in Ghaziabad,” the police officer said.
Delhi Police Crime Branch sources said that through the notice, Maulana Saad has been asked to join the police investigation as soon as possible.
IANS spoke to some close associates of Maulana Saad on this on till Wednesday.
On the condition of not disclosing his name, one of the associates said: “Maulana Saad has not escaped. He will come forward soon and tell you all the things. ”
According to Jamaat and Delhi Police sources, “One of the wanted accused, who has been given a police notice to be sent to Maulana Saad, is presently kept in a quarantine home at a Tughlakabad school.”
Most of the six-seven accused are absconding since the FIR was filed. The FIR includes most of the activists of the Jamaat, who were seen in a meeting with SHO Mukesh Walia, which was made at the Nizamuddin police station on March 23-24 and went viral.
Delhi Police said that some of the persons who had attended the meet were also questioned on Thursday.
“The problem is that most of them have been quarantined. Therefore, it will take more time to interrogate them. Until the Health Department gives permission, it is almost impossible to inquire even the 160 foreign-bound passengers in Delhi,” a police officer said.
Prasanta Patnaik