6 Thailand nationals booked in TN on charges of violating visa norms

Erode (TN), Apr 7 (PTI) Six Thailand nationals, who tested positive for coronavirus here, have been booked for allegedly indulging in religious preaching in violation of visa norms and hiding facts regarding their health problems, police said.

Cases have been registered against the six, now undergoing treatment in the isolation ward in nearby Perundurai IRT Government Medical College Hospital, under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code, they said. The action was taken based on a complaint by local Tahsildar lodged with Erode South Police.

According to police, the Thai Nationals who possessed tourist visas engaged themselves in Islamic preaching despite suffering from COVID-19. In all, a group of seven Thailand nationals came here some three weeks ago, stayed at Kollampalayam Housing Unit complex and engaged themselves in preaching.

A 49-year old man among them died due to kidney ailment at a government hospital in Coimbatore. The remaining six tested positive for coronavirus, prompting authorities to launch a massive contact tracing of those who had attended the preaching sessions and others.

District Collector C Kathiravan on Tuesday said over 1.09 lakh people have been kept under home quarantine in the district as a preventive measure. Noting that there was information that several of them were coming out of their houses and roaming around, he warned that such people would be arrested.