Hyderabad: A trial court in Sehore, the neighbouring district of Bhopal, on Friday, sentenced eight Tablighi Jamaat members to a month-long imprisonment and a fine of Rs 16,800. Of them six are foreign Jamaat members and two are from India who accompanied the foreigners.
Hindustan Times with reference to an official release from the district prosecution officer Nirmala Singh Chaudhary, reported that the convicts Khin Maung Zaw, Thnin Tharyi Khin Maung, Zawoo, Ye Lin Phyo, Thein Lni and Myoo OO are residents of Myeik, Myanmar while Mashur Rehman hails from Jharkhand and Ahmad Hussain is from Bihar.
The official release is quoted to have stated: “The convicts having visited Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi reached Bhopal and stayed in different mosques over there on February 21, 2020. The foreigners had a tourist visa. During the inquiry (by police) it came to be known that they reached Sehore on February 26 and stayed at Pukhta masjid for the propagation of their religion in violation of the tourist visa. They were advised by the Sehore district hospital’s civil surgeon to quarantine for 14 days but they continued to meet people while ignoring the advice.”
The official release further stated that the eight members were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment and a total fine of Rs 16,800 under section 51-B of National Disaster Act and section 14 of the Foreigners Act.
Police had arrested them on May 22 and produced them before the court on May 23 and later sent to jail. On July 14, they got bail as per an order of the high court.
However, additional district prosecution officer (ADPO) Kedar Singh Kaurav said that since they have already been in jail for more than a month, they will not have to go to jail.