Tablighi Jamaati lodged in UP jail dies of cardiac arrest

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A Tablighi Jamaat 'Amir' (district chief) for Jaunpur died at the district hospital of suspected cardiac arrest. Naseem Ahmad, 65, a heart patient, was lodged at a temporary jail after his arrest in the first week of April for allegedly harbouring foreign nationals. He was shifted to the hospital after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday morning.

Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agrawal said: "Naseem Ahmad, who was booked in a case of arranging shelter for Tablighi Jamaat attendees, including 14 Bangladeshis, without reporting their presence to the district administration, was a heart patient and was hospitalized twice in the past nine days. Cardiac arrest is suspected as reason for his death. Jaunpur police has sent his body for post mortem."

According to officials, Ahmad, a native of Firozpur in Jaunpur, had returned from Delhi after attending the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz at Nizamuddin in March.

After the event, a batch of 16 Jamaat attendees, including 14 Bangladeshis, had reached Jaunpur.

These 16 Jamaatis initially stayed at Bada Masjid in city area but when police intensified drive against Jamaatis, Ahmad arranged a shelter for them near Lal Masjid in Saraikhwaja police station area.

On March 31, the Saraikhwaja police arrested 14 Bangladeshis along with Yasin Ansari of Jharkhand and Mohd Abul Motalib of West Bengal. All these persons were booked under appropriate sections of Epidemic Diseases Act, Passport Act and Foreigners Act.

The commissioner said, "During investigation it came to light that Ahmad had arranged shelter for them, after which a case was lodged against him and he was arrested.

"Initially, Ahmad was kept in quarantine centre where his COVID-19 test had also been conducted and he was found corona negative. Later, he was sent to a temporary jail created in a school premises by Jaunpur administration for epidemic offenders."

On April 28, Ahmad's health deteriorated and he was admitted to the district hospital and also sent to BHU hospital for proper check-up. After his condition improved, he was sent back to the temporary jail.

He was admitted again to Jaunpur district hospital on April 30, from where he was discharged after improvement in his condition.