In a tragic turn of events, a Tablighi Jamaat member, who had come to India from Bangladesh and was later arrested in Madhya Pradesh died of cardiac arrest, just a day after his acquittal, NewsBits reported.
53-year-old Sagheer Ahmed was part of the Jamaat delegation who had travelled to India from Alamnagar in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was booked a few months ago, his passport was seized and he was sent to jail. After facing trial for months, the court had discharged all the Jamaatis including him. However, Sagheer passed away on September 11, a day after his acquittal.
As this was a case of a foreigner’s death, the local police informed higher officials. The post-mortem was conducted and later, the last rites were performed and he was buried, according to NewsBits.
Soon after the Coronavirus pandemic struck India, Tablighi Jamaat members who had come to India, could not go back due to the sudden lockdown that was enforced in the country.
A gathering of Tablighi Jamaat, held in mid-March in Nizamuddin city, was singled out by police and government authorities as being responsible for the spread of coronavirus across India. The convention, which had been given the go-ahead by the Delhi authorities, was attended by about 8,000 people, including hundreds of foreigners. Across the country, police were ordered to round up anyone associated with the organisation.
The Indian Scientists’ Response to Covid-19 group, however, said that the available data did not support the speculation that the blame for the coronavirus epidemic in India lies mainly with Tablighi Jamaat. The scientists emphasised that while testing for coronavirus is extremely low across India, a disproportionate number have been members of Tablighi Jamaat, as per a government order, therefore heavily skewing the figures.
Last month, the Bombay High Court quashed FIRs against foreign Tablighi Jamaat attendees, saying they were made ‘scapegoats’ by the government and criticised media for their ‘big propaganda’.
The court also slammed the propaganda created against the foreign Tablighi Jamaat attendees and how there was an attempt made to create a picture that these foreigners were responsible for spreading Covid-19 virus in India. “There was big propaganda in print media and electronic media against the foreigners who had come to Markaz Delhi and an attempt was made to create a picture that these foreigners were responsible for spreading Covid-19 virus in India. There was virtually persecution against these foreigners.”
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Rushda Fathima Khan is the Staff Reporter for The Cognate.
