With the Delhi centre of Tablighi Jamaat emerging as the newest hotspot of coronavirus outbreak in the country, investigative agencies have started probing into the sources of funding and financial aid received by the conservative Islamist organisation. According to a report published in India Today, overwhelming numbers of the Jamaat’s benefactors belong to the Gulf countries.
The Delhi Police have also started probing into the finances of the organisation which came under the national limelight after organising a congregation at its Delhi centre at Markaz Nizamuddin where 1700-3000 people are believed to have participated in the event, in flagrant violation of the restrictive orders. The Delhi Police have asked questions about the finances of the organisation in its summons to the Tablighi Jamaat chief- Maulana Saad. They have reportedly sought particulars about the registration details of Markaz, its office bearers, along with details of income tax returns filed in the past three years. Their PAN numbers, bank statements, and bank account details.
In addition, the probe agencies have also asked the Islamist organisation to submit a list of its employees, the count of events organised since January 1, a layout of the premises including information on where CCTV cameras are installed.
Besides, Markaz is also direct to reproduce the details of all the devotees who have visited the centre from March 12 onwards, including those who came from abroad to participate in religious events, members who took ill and a list of inmates who were taken to hospital after March 12 and a record of attendees who have died.
Last week, the role of Tablighi Jamaat in the spreading of the Wuhan Coronavirus across numerous states of India had come to light when 10 people who had attended the congregation at Markaz Nizamuddin died of COVID-19. Muslim clerics of Tablighi Jamaat organised a congregation in violation of the government’s lockdown orders, providing a conducive environment for the novel coronavirus to proliferate. As per conservative estimates, the congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat was attended by more than 2000 people, both from various parts of the country as well as from abroad. Out of India’s 2500 odd cases, 647 have been linked to the congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat, a staggering 28 per cent of the total cases. The investigative agencies are scrambling to identify other attendees who they believe may have contracted the virus due to the unhygienic and unhealthy sanitation at the Jamaat premises.
