Allahabad University suspends professor arrested for hiding Markaz visit and foreigners

Allahabad University has suspended a political science professor Mohammad Shahid three days after he was arrested by the police for in connection with his participation in Tablighi Jamaat congregation and accomodating foreign nationals in a Mosque in Prayagraj without informing the district administration.

According to the reports, the University administration states that it has removed him as per the rules as he has been in judicial custody for more than 48 hours.

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Professor hides foreigners

On April 21, the Prayagraj police arrested the 55-year-old professor along with 16 foreign nationals out of the total 30 persons arrested by Police including on several charges after they completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine period at a camp. Police arrested them after their medical report confirmed none of them found infected with the coronavirus.

After returning from the Tablighi Jamaat Congregation, Mohammad Shahid visited the university for several days. Reports state that the professor supervised examinations of about three and a half hundred students for two days and came in contact with many other staff members. Despite the government's repeated appeal to those who had attended the congregation to inform the administration about their participation in the congregation, the professor did not reveal his visit details to the administration while hiding the 16 nationals at Abdullah mosque in Prayagraj amid the lockdown. He was caught by the police on the night of April 8 and sent to the Quarantine Center.

Among the 16 foreign nationals – seven were from Indonesia and nine from Thailand. All 30 persons are lodged at a temporary jail after a local court sent them to judicial custody. 

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