The Uttarakhand Police on Monday warned Tablighi Jamaat members who are hiding in the state that they should either surrender themselves to the police or health department teams, otherwise the police will take strict legal measures against them after midnight.
These legal steps will also be taken under stringent sections of the law. These include attempt to murder (Section 307 of IPC) and murder (Section 302 of IPC) against the accused.
Speaking to IANS, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DG Police) Anil Kumar Raturi said: "The police has no excesses/personal enmity with anyone. The conditions under which society is going through this bad phase of coronavirus. Even in such circumstances, there will be suspicious kind of inhuman behaviour. Even after being found positive, the Tabligi travellers are trying to hide themselves instead of separating themselves from the people of the society, this act of theirs is no less than a serious crime."
He said, "Every police station in the state - from the inspector to the constable - are repeatedly urging the suspects to surrender themselves to the health department or police teams. By keeping them separate, at least the rest of the healthy people can be saved from being corona positive. But the police have been forced to register criminal cases due to the Tablighis' behaviour."
In this regard, an order was issued by the Directorate General of State Police on April 5. In the order, the Tablighis in the state were told that they should surrender themselves to the Health Department or the police by April 6 - midnight of Monday-Tuesday - to be quarantined.
Raturi further told IANS, "If after this order i.e. after Monday-Tuesday midnight, any hidden corona suspect is found in any corner of the state, then the police will directly act against him under IPC section 307 for attempt to murder and arrest him to be quarantined.
According to DGP Raturi, "If a common citizen dies of coronavirus in any area the responsibility for that death will be attributed to any Tablighi member caught directly from the area. Also a murder case against the Tablighi member for that death will be registered under Section 302."
If the Uttarakhand Police registers a case of attempt to murder or murder against any Tablighi member it will be the first state in the country to have taken such drastic measures against the Tablighi Jamaat. No state police has so far made any announcement or order about taking such strict measures against the Tablighis.