Tablighi Jamaat participants walk towards a bus that would take them to a quarantine facility, at the Nizamuddin West area of New Delhi on Tuesday. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia/India Today)

On March 31, the administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands said 10 people had tested positive for Coronavirus.

On March 30, six deaths related to Coronavirus were reported from Telangana.

A few days before this, on March 26, a businessman died in Srinagar after battling with Coronavirus for many days.

The common thread binding all these otherwise unrelated incidents, apart from the virus, is that all the victims had recently attended prayer gatherings organised by the Tablighi Jamaat - a global Islamic evangelical movement of Indian origin - at a six-storey building in South Delhi's Nizamuddin West area.

As the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in the country reached 1,397, the gathering of preachers since early March at the building, known as the Markaz or International Headquarters of the Jamaat, has become what many call a 'SuperSpreader', leaving a trail of infection and death from Kashmir to the Andamans.

At least 10 people present at the Markaz anytime in the first two weeks of March have succumbed to the disease. When reports last came in, more than a 100 attendees, including 50 in Tamil Nadu, 24 in Delhi, 18 in Kashmir, 15 fresh in Telangana and nine in Andaman and Nicobar had tested positive for the disease.

Talibani Crime’ by Tablighi Jamaat. This is not negligence, it’s a serious criminal act. Such a sin’ is unpardonable. - MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI, Union Minister of Minority Affairs

Not to mention hundreds of others who have been sent to quarantine facilities across the country on suspicion of Coronavirus.

HOW THE INFECTION SPREAD

It all began early March as Coronavirus cases kept surging in India and the world over. Though the faithful keep assembling at the Nizamuddin venue throughout the year, this month there was a surge in the number of visitors from within the country and abroad.

Many reports said there was a scheduled congregation at the Markaz sometime between March 8 and 13, but there is no official confirmation.

An estimated 2,500 people belonging to several nationalities had assembled by March 10, said people who follow the movement that started in 1927 from Mewat near Gurugram.

"First the preachers and followers assemble at Nizamuddin. It is here where the forward journey to villages and towns in India with Muslim population is planned," said a member of Jamaat. "The main task is 'tashkeel' - which means to goad Muslims gone 'astray' to return to the faith," he added.

The Markaz is a transit point for the India-bound Islamic missionaries and it is from here that they set out in groups to other states where they stay in local mosques as a norm.

It is estimated that from January 1 this year, approximately 2,100 foreigners visited India for preaching purposes. While 824 of them, as on March 21, were dispersed in different parts of the country, 216 of them stayed at the Nizamuddin Markaz.

These foreign preachers were mostly stationed at Uttar Pradesh (132), followed by Tamil Nadu (124), Maharashtra (115) and Haryana (115). At least 1,500 preachers had already left for various destinations by March 23 after a few of the members had developed symptoms but no one thought about the virus.

In the process, many, probably carrying an infection, had left for their towns and villages in their states unaware that they were potential 'superspreaders.'

"During the probe, it came to light that more than 3,000 people were in the Markaz between March 10 and March 15. Among the participants, foreign nationals from Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, Saudi Arab, China, Ukraine, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh were present. After the lockdown, many of them left the place but around 1,600 were stranded inside the building including 200 foreign nationals," said a Delhi police official who did not want to be named.

"Why were the foreigners not separated in the beginning? Where were the police and administration?" asked a Jamaat member.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Timely action by the Delhi Police, Delhi government and the Centre could have prevented thousands of preachers from spreading Coronavirus in the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, on March 21, informed the state governments about 824 foreign nationals who visited the Markaz and then travelled to other states, but the Delhi Government and Delhi Police reportedly made no effort to stop the entry of any person or to vacate the premises.

It is said there were 1,746 people, including 216 foreigners, present in the building on March 21 - three days before the lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

About 824 foreigners were, as on March 21, doing preaching activities in various parts of the country. State police were also asked on March 21 to identify people present in the Markaz and get them medically screened and quarantined.

More than a week before this, the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi had banned any gatherings of more than 200 people in the Capital. But it was only on March 29 that Delhi government and Union Health Ministry went rushing in to comb the Nizamuddin neighbourhood when reports of positive cases started pouring out of the Markaz.

Arvind Kejriwal, who termed the gathering as criminal negligence, said 1,548 people had been evacuated by Tuesday. While 441 people had symptoms, 1,339 people were quarantined from the area.

A case was, however, lodged on March 31 by Crime Branch of Delhi Police against Maulana Saad and other members for violating the government orders on restrictions.

"Whatever happened in the Markaz is wrong. We wrote to the L-G yesterday to take strict action against the guilty," Kejriwal told reporters on Tuesday.

Markaz authorities said they had informed the Delhi Police and Delhi government about the details of people staying inside their premises. However, no timely response was received.

Never violated any provision of law... did not let them [visitors] violate medical guidelines by thronging ISBTs or roaming on streets. - MARKAZ NIZAMUDDIN, in a statement

"We informed the Delhi Police and SDM on March 23 about the number of people. We even asked for vehicles so that they can be sent to their respective destinations, but nothing was done," said Mohammad Ashraf, a spokesperson.

The Markaz said in a statement that its members were trapped because of the lockdown.

"On March 21, a large group of visitors who had to depart by railways got stuck at the Markaz. On March 22, Janata Curfew was observed and visitors were advised not to venture out until 9 pm. On March 24, a notice was issued by police, seeking closure of the premises. We responded to it on March 24 stating the compliance of the directions regarding the closure of Markaz was already underway," the statement said.

(With inputs from Arvind Ojha)