Amid COVID-19 Lockdown, Over 100 Gather at a Rajasthan Dargah

According to police, permission was given to five peoplebut later many others joined them at the dargah.

As per tradition, a chadar is offered every year by the khadims of Ajmer dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti to the dargah in Sarwar.

(Photo courtesy: Sarwar Sharif Dargah Hazrat)

About 100 people gathered for a religious congregation at a dargah in Sarwar town of Rajasthan's Ajmer district on Tuesday, 31 March, following which police used mild force to disperse them, police sources said.

Six persons have been arrested by police for violating lockdown restrictions in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

As per tradition, a chadar is offered every year by the khadims of Ajmer dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti to the dargah in Sarwar.

The religious congregation in Sarwar comes at a time when authorities nationwide are trying to trace people who attended a huge religious gathering in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month.

24 people who attended the religious congregation at Tabligh-e-Jamaat’s Markaz in Nizamuddin have tested positive for coronavirus, (Photo: PTI)

Twenty-four people who attended the religious congregation at Tablighi Jamaat's Markaz have tested positive for coronavirus, while 1,548 have been evacuated and 441 hospitalised after they showed its symptoms.

“Ajmer police gave permission to five persons for this purpose but later many others joined them in the Sarwar dargah,” said Kunwar Rastradeep, SP, Ajmer.

According to police sources about 100 people had gathered at the dargah.

When the police asked them to vacate the place, several of them objected and confronted the police.

Later, police dispersed them using mild force and arrested six persons under 151 (arrest to prevent cognisable offences) of CrPC.