A Telangana government official who tested positive for COVID-19 has been booked for not disclosing his attendance at the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, police said on Saturday.
The official is currently undergoing treatment in the state-run Gandhi Hospital, Jangoan police inspector D Mallesh said, adding that the case was booked on Friday.
The man, working in the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) of Jangoan, participated in the religious congregation in Delhi on March 15 without permission or leave and returned three days later.
Further, he did not take any precautionary measures and moved in public as well as attended duty, Mallesh said. Around 70 people who came into contact with him since his return from Delhi were advised home quarantine.
A case under Sections 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was booked against the official.
The Telangana government had recently announced that whoever had attended the religious meeting at Nizamuddin West in the national capital should inform the health department officials or police and undergo tests for coronavirus.
The state has seen the most fatalities in south, with nine of the deceased having had a history of attending the religious meeting at Nizamuddin West.
The South Delhi locality has emerged as an epicentre for the spread of coronavirus in different parts of the country after thousands of people took part in the Tablighi Jamaat congregation from March 1-15 and returned to their states.
COVID-19 cases continued to rise in Telangana with 43 people testing positive on Saturday, taking the state's tally to 272.
No deaths were reported on Saturday while one person was discharged from the hospital. With this, 33 people have been discharged from hospitals so far. According to Health Minister Eatela Rajender, there are 228 active cases in different hospitals of the state.
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