City’s Markaz ‘Lal Building’ closed after +ve case found in Betul

Nagpur: City’s Tablighi Jamaat Markaz, popularly known as Lal Building, situated at Ansar Nagar, Mominpura, was closed down on Thursday. It was in the aftermath of a TJ member from Betul, Madhya Pradesh (MP), was found positive for coronavirus. The man had stayed in city’s Markaz (centre) for 14 days.
Following directives of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), charitable trust Idara-E-Tahfeezul Quran, which runs the Markaz, locked it on its own after team from NMC completed sanitization.Markaz comprises a mosque and a sprawling hall where TJ members stay and religious activities are carried on.
NMC chief medical officer health Dr Yogendra Savai had directed the trust to close the Markaz on April 7.
Markaz secretary Abdul Bari Patel told TOI, “I got a call from the NMC official informing one Jamaat member had tested positive in Betul and he had stayed here. I checked in records and the person was here between March 14 and 28. Only four persons visit Markaz and perform namaz. We have done sanitization after everyone left Markaz. Still, we decided to follow whatever instructions NMC gave. Now, there will be no namaz at Markaz for 14 days,” he said.
Patel added, “I identified seven close contacts of Betul person and informed the NMC. All were examined and quarantined at Lonara college. None of the persons from city who are connected with Markaz are positive as of now,” he said.
Patel also said, “Four of eight Jamaat members from Myanmar who are under institutional quarantine had also stayed at Markaz when Betul person was here.”
Asked about TJ members from city who went outside on religious tours, Patel said, “Three of four TJ groups have returned from Chandrapur, Wardha and Jabalpur. One group remains at Seoni in MP. All are either under institutional or home quarantine,” he said.