Following the outbreak of COVID-19, 129 foreign nationals, who were staying in various mosques in the State, have so far been held for violation of visa norms and involvement in religious preaching. These preachers hailed from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Congo.
The police said they had arrived in India on tourist visas and violated the guidelines by travelling to different parts of the country and preaching. They attended the Tablighi Jamaat conference in Delhi.
Police sources told The Hindu that they had landed in different airports in the first week of March or even earlier.
Thereafter, the members split up and travelled across the State and stayed in mosques.
Many arrested persons had been kept at special quarantines and some were under treatment after testing positive for COVID-19.
Visa regulations
General Policy Guidelines Relating to Indian Visa says foreign nationals granted any type of visa and OCI cardholders shall not be permitted to engage themselves in “tabligh” work.
There will be no restriction on visiting religious places and attending normal religious activities such as discourses. However, preaching religious ideologies, making speeches in religious places, distribution of audio or visual display/ pamphlets pertaining to religious ideologies, spreading conversion and so on is not allowed.
Most of them attended the Tablighi Jamaat event between March 12 and 22 and later they split into groups and travelled to south India. Among them, 10 Malaysian nationals were first caught at Chennai airport last Sunday before boarding a special flight to Kuala Lumpur. They have been lodged in a quarantine ward at Poonamallee.
They had travelled to Tenkasi and Thiruvananthapuram and involved in preaching activities, the police alleged. When the lockdown was in force, they travelled by a private van to the city to board the special flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Subsequently, the Kancheepuram district police booked a case against 10 Indonesians and four Malaysians who stayed in a mosque in the town based on a complaint given by local village administrative officer. Meanwhile, State government facilitated evacuation of 2,470 stranded foreign nationals.
The country-wise break of these people is: Malaysia 755, Singapore 488, France 295, Germany 271, Canada 131, Oman 3, Israel 6, the U.S. 281, and Japan 208.
