E-Paper
Coronavirus outbreak: 84 who attended Bhai Nirmal Singh’s event in Chandigarh quarantined
A Padma Shri awardee, 67-year-old Bhai Nirmal Singh was diagnosed with Covid-19 on March 31 after he returned from abroad and complained of breathlessness; he died on April 2
The municipal corporation’s (MC) contact tracing team on Thursday quarantined 84 people who attended a religious gathering in Sector 27 on March 19 where former Golden Temple hazoori raagi Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa was present.
A Padma Shri awardee, 67-year-old Bhai Nirmal Singh was diagnosed with Covid-19 on March 31 after he returned from abroad and complained of breathlessness. He died on Thursday.
With his death, Covid-19 deaths in Punjab rose to five.
On March 19, Singh was present at a large gathering at the Sector 27 residence of a banquet hall owner, it was learnt. After being alerted by the Amritsar health authorities about the Bhai Nirmal Singh’s presence at the city, the Chandigarh contact tracing team started contacting people who attended the event.
“We have quarantined 84 contacts, who attended the religious ceremony, including 14 members of one house in Sector 27 and others in Sectors 18, 33, 36,” said a senior MC official.
Four houses in Sector 27-A have been quarantined.
A person living near the banquet hall owner’s house said, “On March 19 there was a roka ceremony of the owner’s son. That’s why a kirtan was held and the raagi called.”
The owner owns a banquet hall in Mohali and is also an office bearer of the Association of Banquet Halls, Mohali.
What health authorities were concerned about was that a number of events had been organised for the wedding. “A ladies sangeet was held a day after the kirtan, which was followed by the wedding. There were numerous functions which a number of people attended. The house and roads were blocked with vehicles,” said another neighbour.
After she heard about the raagi’s death another woman living close to the banquet hall owner’s house called up the police to inform them about the wedding. “A former judicial officer residing in their neighbourhood had advised them to postpone the wedding, but as their (home owner’s) children had come from abroad, they couldn’t change plans at the last moment,” the neighbour said.
