TJ followers’ call data under scanner

With around 9,000 followers of the Tablighi Jamaat who attended the meet in Delhi being identified across the country, and isolated, the Special Branch and Local Intelligence Units (LIU) of the state police are still extensively examining call data records and using other means of technical surveillance to identify the others who have came in contact with these people.

The Home Ministry which is closely monitoring the contact tracing’ of the Tablighi followers with the states has already directed the respective police forces to launch a “massive hunt” to trace everyone who came in contact with the Tablighi followers who attended a crowded event in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area, which has turned out to be a hotbed of coronavirus infection.

“The exact number of people affected by corona by coming in contact with Tablighi followers would be known only after the last person in contact tracing is accounted for. So far we have managed to track down about 9,000 people across the country but a massive hunt is currently on to race the remaining ones,” a senior ministry official said.

The state police is relying heavily on technology, particularly call data records, to trace everyone who has come in contact with the Tablighi followers particularly between March 3 and 31.

An estimated 2,000

Tablighi followers are believed to have gone to 19 different states after attending the event in Delhi.

“Though a lot of people are voluntarily coming forward for the check-up, many people are still not traceable maybe because they may not even be aware,” the official added.

States have also been asked to share and provide data to each other on suspect corona patients so that immediate preventive measures can be taken.