Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Prayagraj police have lodged an FIR against a professor of Allahabad University (AU) for concealing that he had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin in New Delhi last month.

The professor was quarantined along with his family by the district administration late on Wednesday night.

Prof Mohammad Shahid of the department of political science returned from Delhi on March 13 after attending the congregation but did not informed the administration about it.

Police action against the professor followed a tip-off. In a late night swoop, the cops raided the house of Prof Shahid and grilled him about his Jamaat connection and his participation in the congregation. Then the professor and his family were taken to Mehboob guest house for isolation in Kareli area of the city.

The FIR has been registered against the professor under the Epidemic Act in Shivkuti police station.

According to sources, after returning from the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi, Prof Shahid had also performed examination duty at the university on March 17 and 18.

Allahabad University registrar Dr NK Shukla said the university administration may also initiate administrative action under the AU Act against Prof Shahid for not following the health protocol after returning from Delhi and putting the life of scores of students, teachers and staff at risk. Prof Shahid’s elder brother is a professor of commerce in the same university.

As per sources, the professor many be denied further promotion in his profession for violating norms crucial for the well-being of the public.

According to Prayagraj SP City Brijesh Srivastava, the professor did the examination duty on the campus involving 144 examinees. Since then, he had been in contact with professors of many other departments and staff of the department of political science till the announcement of the nationwide lockdown.

The SP claimed that a drive was launched to round up his contacts so that they could also be quarantined. He added that earlier also the professor was asked about his participation in the congregation but he denied it.