In what could be disastrous to the government's effort to contain the novel coronavirus, 50 of the 1,400 people who returned to the state attending the religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi have been incommunicado.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh warned of strict action against them if they do not approach the government.

He urged those people to voluntarily come forward and get in touch with the state government authorities.

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The state government will quarantine them and take care of them if they approach the authorities, he said.

Anil Deshmukh said the congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in New Delhi last month was attended by nearly 4,000 people.

Several of these attendees later tested positive for coronavirus, while some of them have died of the disease. The congregation was attended by 1,400 people from Maharashtra.

The state government has till now traced and quarantined 1,350 of them, Anil Deshmukh said. "And the remaining 50 who have returned have kept their mobiles (phones) switched off. Hence, we urge them to voluntarily approach the government," he told a news channel, said news agency PTI.

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He assured that the government will take care of them to ensure the coronavirus does not spread in other parts of the state.

"For this, they should surrender before our police and cooperate with the state government. We will trace them and take strict action against them if they do not surrender before us, he warned.

The congregation which happened last month in Delhi's Nizamuddin area was attended by thousands, including foreigners and since then, India has witnessed a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.