Birthday gathering led to Hyderabad markets’ shutdown

Not spike in Covid cases but a get-together hosted by a financier to celebrate his 63rd birthday forced traders into self-lockdown
A worker of Secunderabad Cantonment Board spraying disinfectant on a tree at Mahindra Hills in Hyderabad. (File photo| S Senbagapandiyan, EPS)
A worker of Secunderabad Cantonment Board spraying disinfectant on a tree at Mahindra Hills in Hyderabad. (File photo| S Senbagapandiyan, EPS)

HYDERABAD: When several markets across Hyderabad and Secunderabad decided to go into self-lockdown mode last week, many thought that it was because of the sudden spike in Covid-19 numbers in the twin cities. However, Express has learnt that the main reason behind this is a get-together, which was organised in Himayatnagar on June 22.

Throwing all caution to the wind, around 70 people participated in the gathering, which was also attended by the who’s who of Hyderabad’s business community and members of various merchant associations. The get-together was hosted by a financier and philanthropist from the city associated with the Bhagvan Memorial Medical Trust, Hyderabad, at his residence in Himayatnagar to celebrate his 63rd birthday. While the financier died on July 1, another businessman, a famous jeweller from Pot Market, who was also over 60 years also, died on June 30. But panic spread among those who attended the gathering much before the two prominent businessmen died. Express learnt that the financier, who hosted the get-together, had got tested for Covid- 19 the same day (June 22) at a private lab.

Despite this, he went ahead and played host. A day later, his test results returned positive, triggering panic among his family and all the other business persons who attended the get-together. Many of them got tested for Covid-19 and the results of some returned positive.

Soon after this get-together, on June 26, various merchant associations in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad decided to go into self-lockdown. But the reason given was the steep rise in Covid-19 cases. It is also learnt that a Telangana MLC, who recently tested positive for the highly contagious disease, had also met the financier on his 63rd birthday to wish him. But Express could not confirm this detail.

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