Telangana official who attended Tablighi ijtema booked for cover-up

Hyderabad: A COVID-19 positive state government official has been booked for not disclosing his attendance at the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, police said on Saturday.

The official is currently undergoing treatment in the state-run Gandhi Hospital, Jangoan police inspector D Mallesh said, adding, the case was booked on Friday.

The man, working in the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) of Jangoan, participated in the religious congregation in Delhi on March 15 without permission or leave and returned three days later.

Further, he did not take any precautionary measures and moved in public as well as attended duty, Mallesh said.

A case under Sections 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life,) and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC was booked against the official, police said.

The Telangana government had recently announced that whoever had attended the religious meeting at Nizamuddin West in the national capital should inform the health department officials or police and undergo tests for coronavirus.

The state has seen the most fatalities in south, with nine of the deceased having had a history of attending the religious meeting at Nizamuddin West.

The South Delhi locality has emerged as an epicentre for the spread of coronavirus in different parts of the country after thousands of people took part in the Tablighi Jamaat congregation from March 1-15 and returned to their states.

Telangana has so far reported a total of 229 coronavirus positive cases.

The man’s family members were also shifted to Gandhi Hospital for screening. Officials said 70 people who came into contact with him since his return from Delhi were advised home quarantine.

Telangana has so far reported the death of nine persons, including eight of them who had attended Tablighi event. The state has so far recorded 229 Covid-19 positive cases, a majority of them attendees of the Delhi meet.