Tablighi Jamaat head goes into 'hiding', says he has quarantined himself

According to sources, Mohammad Saad, head of the Tablighi Jamaat, is using the 'quarantine' period to muster support for himself among the Jamaatis even as the police in several states have started cracking down on his followers.

Lucknow/New Delhi:Mohammad Saad, the Amir (head) of the Tablighi Jamaat, that has emerged as a corona hotspot, went into hiding and claimed he has quarantined himself.

According to sources, Saad is using the 'quarantine' period to muster support for himself among the Jamaatis even as the police in several states have started cracking down on his followers.

Intelligence sources, who are also working in coordination with the police on the issue, said that Mohammad Saad is probably hiding in the house of an unidentified supporter in Delhi or in the outskirts of the national capital. The police have visited his Zakir Nagar residence and is keeping a close vigil on the house.

"He is not using his phone on a regular basis and is communicating with his lawyers through a number of other phones. He has a plush farmhouse in Kandhla in Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh, but he is not likely to stay there because arresting him from there would be easier as the area is sparsely populated," the official said.

Sources admit that the police took its own time to crack down on Mohammad Saad which gave him an opportunity to go into hiding.

"The operation at the Jamaat Markaz was definitely botched up. We should have nabbed him first before going in for others," admitted a police official.

The cops are wary of zeroing in on Saad because he has quarantined himself. In an audio message, he has claimed that the doctors have asked him to remain quarantined.

It is still not known if the Jamaati chief has tested Corona positive himself.

The notice sent to Mohammad Saad with 26 questions has been returned - mostly unanswered-- with a statement that said that he will answer the question after his quarantined period is over and the Markaz is opened.

Meanwhile, according to sources in the Tablighi Jamaat, massive efforts are on to mobilize the cadres in favor of Mohammad Saad.

"We are informing our people about hos a conspiracy is being hatched to arrest our leader who is doing great service to Islam. We are telling our brothers to remain prepared for a long battle," said a member of the Tablighi Jamaat in Lucknow.

"When asked how they were communicating with each other, he parried the question and said, "Allah ka hukum hai, sabko mil jaata hai."

That Saad has successfully spread his message among the Jamaatis is evident from the fact that one such member uploaded a video on Saturday in which he can be heard saying hat if any harm comes to Mohammad Saad, he will behead himself.

Police officials also admit that the possibility of violence by Jamaatis cannot be ruled out if Saad is arrested now.

"As it is, these people are getting increasingly aggressive in their behaviour. They are misbehaving with the medical staff and the cops.

Arresting Mohammad Saad at this time would not be advisable because in the present situation, violence is the last thing we want on our hands," said a senior cop who did not wish to be named.

IANS Report