Over 160 from Delhi's Nizamuddin sent to hospital; Religious meet's organiser to be booked

After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday ordered the registration of an FIR against a maulana for leading a mid-March congregation in West Nizamuddin in South Delhi after several people who attended it showed symptoms of coronavirus, sources have said that the Delhi Police is going to register multiple FIRs against the organisers.

UP Police ordered to conduct tests of people 

The Uttar Pradesh Police Headquarters has also issued an order to Senior police officials of 18 districts to immediately conduct COVID-19 tests of people who attended the religious gathering in Nizamuddin and hospitalise those who test positive for the virus.

Earlier on Tuesday, people continued to board buses in the Nizammudin area and were taken to different hospitals for a checkup. According to sources, 34 were sent to AIIMS, Jhajjar. 153 to Lok Nayak Hospital. 65 to Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital. 97 people have been sent to the Isolation Center of Northern Railway. Sources add that Coronavirus symptoms are found in most people.

6 people who attended the gathering dead in Telangana

After Delhi witnessed 87 coronavirus cases, Nizamuddin emerged as a hotspot after a religious meeting was held at Markaz by the Tableeghi Jamaat earlier this month. Several COVID-19 positive cases have been found among those who attended the gathering.

Among the people who attended the congregation, six people who were from Telangana died due to the novel coronavirus, the state government said on Monday. "Coronavirus has spread among some of those who attended a religious prayer meeting from March 13 to 15 at Markaz in Nizamuddin area in Delhi," according to an official release. "Among those who attended were some persons from Telangana."

Two of the six died at the Gandhi Hospital, one each in two private hospitals, and one each in Nizamabad and Gadwal towns, the statement said, without mentioning the time of their deaths. The special teams under the collectors have identified the persons who came in contact with the deceased and they are shifted to the hospitals, it said.

Police seal the area

Police and paramilitary personnel cordoned off a major area in Nizamuddin West in south Delhi on Monday. The Telangana government asked those who participated in the prayers to inform the authorities. It will conduct tests and offer treatment to them free of cost, according to the release. The government also requested the people to alert if they come to know about those who participated in the prayers.

READ | 'India reports 92 fresh COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths in last 24 hours': Health Ministry

READ | Six Telangana natives who attended Nizamuddin congregation die of COVID-19

More than 2,000 delegates, including from Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan, attended the congregation of Tablighi Jamaat - a Muslim religious organisation - from March 13 to 15. So now, after the congregation dispersed, those who had gathered have gone in different directions. 

Reports are emerging that Coronavirus cases linked to this gathering are being discovered across the country, in Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Telangana. So far, 97 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the national capital.

READ | Telangana to be Coronavirus-free by April 7 if no new cases reported: CM KCR

READ | Delhi govt calls for FIR against Nizammudin Markaz's Maulana over lockdown violation

(With agency inputs)