Chennai: Eight persons, four men and four women from Ethiopia, have been arrested for violating the lockdown and allegedly conducting religious meetings at Muthialpet in Chennai.
The four couples have been tested negative after a medical examination and are currently lodged in Puzhal Prison.
Police said the group was involved in preaching activities and even attended the Delhi conference. It is said they were in the city on a medical visa.
The arrested persons were identified as Awel Muktar Shifa (27) and his wife Negash Fetiya Awel (22), Khelil Muhdin Hussen (53) and his wife Seydo Teybat Reshad (48), Yesuf Shemsu Jamal (48) and his wife Mohamed Zehra Kemal (40), Hassen Ibrahim Worku (49) and his wife Seid Mekiya Hamza (34). They were all residents of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia.
While four of them reached Delhi on 8 March on medical visa and participated at Tablighi Jamaat conference, four others reached Delhi on 12 March for the meet.
After the religious conference, they reached Chennai by train and stayed at Noorul Huda Madrasa at Appu Masthri Sreet in Muthialpet to carry out their religious activities, it is said.
The foreigners were asked to quarantine themselves. However, they allegedly often stepped out to conduct preaching events.
The police took them for Covid-19 test to Omandurar Hospital. Wwhen they tested negative, they were produced before a Magistrate yesterday. They were booked under Sections 188, 269, 270, 271 of IPC and 13 and 14 of Foreigners Act.