Nine Indonesian nationals, who are members of the Tablighi Jamat, were released from the temporary jail here on Wednesday evening on completion of their term of punishment awarded for violating Foreigners Act.

These Indonesian Jamatis were arrested from Sardhana town of the district. Ten other foreigner Tablighi Jamatis are still serving their punishment in the temporary jail here.

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Announcing their release from the jail, Senior Jail Superintendent Dr BD Pandey said the 9 released Indonesian Jamatis have been released on Wednesday night after receiving their release order from the court. In the order, it was written that these Jamatis have already completed their term of punishment in the jail and hence be released.

These Indonesian Jamatis were kept in a temporary jail made inside the campus of Sir Chotu Ram Engineering College, Meerut, said Dr Pandey adding since they were arrested from a mosque of Sardhana town hence they have been handed over to the Sardhana police and a Maulvi of the same mosque. They would ensure that the Jamatis return to their country.

Besides, 10 other Jamatis from Sudan, Djibouti and Nepal who are also lodged in a temporary jail and serving their term of punishment for violating Foreigners Act are also expected to be released soon.

The Jamatis were taken into custody from Madina Mosque of Sardhana on March 21. They were first quarantined in the mosque and tested for COVID-19. One of them had tested positive and was later admitted to Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College COVID Hospital while rest of them were moved to the isolation ward at Subharti Medical College and quarantined there. On completion of the quarantine period, they were shifted to a temporary jail.