Cases filed against 6 Thai nationals in Erode, 11 Indonesian citizens in Salem

08/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,ERODE/SALEM

Cases were registered against six Thai and 11 Indonesian nationals in Erode and Salem, respectively, on Tuesday.

The Erode South police registered a case against six Thai nationals for violating visa norms and having been involved in religious preaching that had eventually led to the spread of COVID-19 in the city. The accused foreigners are now in the isolation ward of the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital at Perundurai.

Seven persons from Thailand had arrived in the city in the second week of March and had been involved in preaching activities. They had visited two dargahs and a few houses in the city. Later, one of them developed fever and was admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital, but tested negative for COVID-19. However, he later died due to complications of diabetic nephropathy and septicaemia.

The other six were admitted to the ward. Three of them tested positive, while the other three tested negative. Some of those who had been in direct contact with them also tested positive, leading to the home quarantining of over 30,000 persons in the city. As many as 32 persons have tested positive in the district so far.

‘Knowingly spread virus’

In her complaint, Erode Tahsildar Parimaladevi said the six had arrived in the city on a tourist visa, but had violated their visa norms. Despite knowing that they were infected by the virus, they spread it to others, she added.

The police registered a case under Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) of the Indian Penal Code and Para 1-25 and 19.8 of The Visa Manual 2019 r/w Section 13(1), (2) and 14 of The Foreigner’s Act 1946 and 134, 135 of the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.

In Salem, the city police registered a case against 18 persons, including 11 Indonesian nationals.

Based on the complaint of the Village Administrator Officer of Kitchipalayam, the police registered a case against 11 Indonesians, who had come here to preach Islam, their guide from Chennai and their local contacts.

They were booked for spreading epidemic disease and flouting visa rules, among other charges.