While the government has been able to trace hundreds of Tablighi Jamaat members, around 400 are still missing (File photo from PTI)

The Tablighi Jamaat members, who caused a sudden spike in the positive cases of coronavirus in the country, have become a headache for multiple states and intelligence agencies as hundreds of them are still missing.

An investigation by India Today TV has found that hundreds of Tablighi Jamaat members, who either attended the congregation at Markaz or came in contact with them, are still missing in various states. These missing Tablighis can cause another Covid-19 spurt in the country if they remain untraced and untested.

The Tablighi Jamaat members, who attended the congregation and visited the Markaz in the month of March, carried the virus to other parts of the country and infected many others.

The Centre and state governments have been trying to trace the Tablighis but even to date, hundreds of them remain untraceable in different states.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, over 4,291 positive cases have been linked to Tablighi Jamaat members in 23 states of the country. Over 40,000 have been quarantined at various facilities across states.

According to highly placed sources in various states, 40-50 Tablighi Jamaat members of those who came in contact with them are missing in Maharashtra, around 25 to 30 are untraceable in Uttar Pradesh, 20 to 30 being searched in Bihar, 20 to 25 in missing in Tamil Nadu and 15 to 20 are untraceable in Karnataka.

According to the government’s data, as on April 18, 2020, 84 per cent of positive cases in Tamil Nadu were attributed to Tablighi Jammat members, whereas 63 per cent positive cases had links with the Tablighi Jamaat members in the national capital. The Jamaat members contributed 59 per cent of Covid-19 positive cases in Uttar Pradesh, 61 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, 91 per cent in Assam and 83 per cent in Andaman and Nicobar.

India Today TV has learnt that the total number of missing Tablighi Jamaat members maybe around 200 in at least a dozen states and if they have been staying in contact with other persons, then the number may cross thousand. Looking at the seriousness, various states have now requested all missing members to come out and get them quarantined at the government facilities.

The initial list drawn up by the Delhi Police of Tablighis who attend the Markaz was around 1,587. A revised list was drawn up and the figure rose to around 2,100. This list was shared with all state police. The highest number of Tablighis as per this list was from Tamil Nadu.

To track down the missing Tablighis, who have switched off their phones, the state police have started tower mapping in which the state police are drawing up a list on the basis of the last known location of these numbers shared by Delhi Police. The police are also going through the call data record of the numbers. Local informants have also been activated by the police to find Tablighis who have been hiding. Community leaders have been roped in to convince masjid trustees to cooperate with the police.

Over 40,000 Tablighi members have been quarantined by the government in various states but the curious case of missing Tablighi members has become a serious headache for the central and state governments.