Coronavirus: Mathura dharamshala owner booked for lodging foreigners, not informing police

The dharamshala’s owner Ramesh Chandra Agarwal and manager Ram Prakash Tiwari — residents of Madhya Pradesh — were booked under Section 7 of the Foreigners Act in a case filed at the Goverdhan police station. Goverdhan SHO Lokesh Bhati said the local intelligence unit (LIU) lodged an FIR stating that they were informed about an illegal dharamshala being run from a house located in the posh locality of Parikrama Marg.

No arrest has been made, the illegal structure has not been sealed, and police are waiting for Ramesh Chandra to record his statement, Bhati said. He said they are yet to verify the year when the dharamshala was set up.

Police said a team from the medical department later sanitised the building.

“They (foreigners) were allowed to go only after their medical report confirmed that they are fit,” said Goverdhan Circle Officer Jitendra Kumar.

When the police reached the dharamshala on Wednesday, the manager told them they have 12 rooms and 10 were occupied — each at a cost of Rs 500. Police checked the room and found 20 foreigners — all from Russia — were staying there since March 15.

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