Many Tablighi Jamaat members among 295 shifted to temporary jails in UP

A total of 295 people, most of them related to the Tablighi Jamaat, were shifted to 12 temporary jails in as many districts across the state

A total of 295 people, most of them related to the Tablighi Jamaat, were shifted to 12 temporary jails in as many districts across the state, jail officials said on Thursday.

The Uttar Pradesh government decided to set up these temporary jails to lodge Tablighi Jamaat members and suspected Covid positive people who were arrested during police raids. (Representative image)

Director general (DG) of UP Prison Administration and Reform Services Anand Kumar said 156 foreign nationals were among the people lodged in temporary jails.

He said all the foreign nationals were members of the Tablighi Jamaat who came to India from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Sudan, Thailand, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, France, Palestine, Syria, Mali and Morocco to attend a religious congregation.

Giving a break-up, he said 64 people, including 54 foreign nationals, were lodged in a Saharanpur juvenile home that was converted into a temporary jail.

Similarly, 46 people, including 15 foreign nationals, were lodged in a Jaunpur temporary jail, he said.

Besides, 45 people, including 16 foreign nationals, were shifted to a temporary jail in Bulandshahr.

The numbers for the other districts are: Prayagraj (30, including 16 foreign nationals), Lucknow (23 foreign nationals), Varanasi (22 locals), Sultanpur (17, including 10 foreign nationals) Gyanpur in Bhadohi (14 including 11 foreigners), Moradabad (14), Bjnor (eight foreign nationals), Sitapur (four, including three foreigners) and Agra (seven).

Kumar said temporary jails were also set up in other districts, including two jails each in Mirzapur, Hardoi, Fatehpur, Pratapgarh and Meerut, one each in Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Kanpur, Agra, Mathura, Sonbhadra, Unnao, Lakhimpur Kheri, Hamirpur, Shahjahapur, Badaun, Rampur, Bahraich, Barabanki, Baghpat, Pilibhit, Kannauj and Banda. In all, 39 temporary jails have been set up in as many districts.

The Uttar Pradesh government decided to set up these temporary jails to lodge Tablighi Jamaat members and suspected Covid positive people who were arrested during police raids after six inmates of the Moradabad district jail tested positive, leading to fears that other prisoners could also get infected.

Five out of the six accused are those arrested for an attack on a medical team in Nagfani area of Moradabad on April 15. Two people, including a doctor, were injured in the attack.