Shift Muslim foreigners to jail with basic facilities: TN body

The Federation of Islamic Organisations and Political Parties of Tamil Nadu has condemned the shifting of around 130 arrested Muslims -- who it said had come to India from abroad on a spiritual tour -- to a sub-jail here that allegedly lacks basic facilities.

The Tamil Nadu police had alleged that these foreigners were arrested for violation of visa norms by indulging in religious preaching.

According to the Federation, around 130 Muslims from countries like France, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Mayanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia were initially lodged in Puzhal Central Jail here.

They were, however, shifted recently to Saidapet Sub-Jail, which was built during the British rule and "lacks basic facilities". Only one portion of the said jail was renovated, the Federation claimed.

The women among the arrested persons were lodged in the renovated portion of the sub-jail while the men were housed in the old portions which are in poor condition.

Some of these foreigners had arrived to attend a conference of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi and then visited Tamil Nadu.

"The foreign tourists are suffering a lot in the Saidapet Sub-Jail, which has poor hygienic conditions. They are not able to sleep as the floor is uneven," the Federation said in a statement.

These Muslim men and women have been taken into custody only in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Jharkhand and nowhere else, the Federation said.

The Federation demanded that the Tamil Nadu government immediately shift these foreigners to a prison with all basic facilities and hygienic conditions.