{"id":62050,"date":"2020-03-28T21:11:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-28T15:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=62050"},"modified":"2020-03-28T22:12:47","modified_gmt":"2020-03-28T16:42:47","slug":"were-50-foreigners-from-itlay-iran-and-china-hiding-in-mosque-due-to-corona-virus-detained-in-bihar-kurji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/were-50-foreigners-from-itlay-iran-and-china-hiding-in-mosque-due-to-corona-virus-detained-in-bihar-kurji\/","title":{"rendered":"No, foreign nationals from Italy, Iran weren’t hiding in Patna mosque to avoid coronavirus testing"},"content":{"rendered":"

On March 27, over 900 people died due to novel coronavirus in Italy in a single day. The state’s death toll has now crossed 9,000. Meanwhile, in Iran, the virus has taken the lives of more than 2,000 people. In the midst of the disturbing news, a video is viral on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a> which shows people coming out of a building. It is being claimed that 50 people from Italy and Iran came to Patna’s Kurji last month and have since been hiding in a mosque. They were apprehended by Digha police, the claim furthers.<\/p>\n

At 12:15 PM on March 3, News 24 India<\/em> tweeted (archive<\/a>) the video with the text, “\u092a\u091f\u0928\u093e \u0915\u0947 \u0915\u0941\u0930\u094d\u091c\u0940 \u0907\u0932\u093e\u0915\u0947 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0908\u0930\u093e\u0928 \u0914\u0930 \u0907\u091f\u0932\u0940 \u0938\u0947 \u0915\u0930\u0940\u092c 50 \u0935\u093f\u0926\u0947\u0936\u0940 \u0928\u093e\u0917\u0930\u093f\u0915 \u0905\u091a\u093e\u0928\u0915 \u0938\u0947 \u0907\u0938 \u0915\u0949\u0932\u094b\u0928\u0940 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0906 \u0917\u090f. \u091c\u093f\u0938 \u0935\u091c\u093c\u0939 \u0938\u0947 \u092a\u0942\u0930\u0947 \u0915\u0949\u0932\u094b\u0928\u0940 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0905\u092b\u0930\u093e-\u0924\u092b\u0930\u0940 \u092e\u091a \u0917\u092f\u093e \u0939\u0948. \u0907\u0932\u093e\u0915\u0947 \u0915\u0947 \u090f\u0915 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u092e\u0938\u094d\u091c\u093f\u0926 \u0906\u0915\u0930 \u0930\u0941\u0915\u0947 \u0925\u0947. \u092a\u091f\u0928\u093e \u092a\u0941\u0932\u093f\u0938 \u091c\u093e\u0902\u091a \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u091c\u0941\u091f\u0940. (In Patna’s Kurji, 50 foreign nationals of Iran and Italy suddenly came to this colony. There was panic in the colony due to this. They were staying inside a local mosque. Patna police is investigating.)”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Punjab Kesari<\/em><\/a>, Amar Ujala<\/a>, Times Now Hindi<\/a><\/em> and News18<\/a><\/em> informed that 12 foreign nationals, who were hiding in the mosque, were arrested by the police amid the fear of coronavirus.<\/p>\n

These media outlets, in contrast to News 24 India’s<\/a><\/em>\u00a0report of 50 foreign nationals, claimed that only 12 people were arrested. Meanwhile, News18<\/a><\/em> reported, “The number of people who were kept hidden is being said to be 12. Everyone is said to be from Turkestan. People living in the neighbourhood objected when they came to know about them and started creating a ruckus. Local police were informed about the ruckus, after which, the police took these 12 people into their custody. Police are conducting raids in the area (translated).”<\/p>\n

ANI’s<\/em> Bihar bureau chief Mukesh Singh also tweeted<\/a> the video and questioned Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, “At lane no. 74 of Patna’s Kurji area, 25-30 foreign nationals said to be from Iran and Italy, suddenly got down from 2-3 cars. The locals have informed the police and some of them were taken for interrogation. But why this disaster?”.<\/p>\n

\n

#\u092a\u091f\u0928\u093e<\/a> \u0915\u0947 \u0915\u0941\u0930\u094d\u091c\u0940 \u0907\u0932\u093e\u0915\u0947 \u0915\u0947 74 \u0928\u0902\u092c\u0930 \u0917\u0932\u0940 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0905\u091a\u093e\u0928\u0915 \u0938\u0947 2-3 \u0917\u093e\u0921\u093c\u0940 \u092e\u0947\u0902 25 \u0938\u0947 30 \u0915\u0940 \u0938\u0902\u0916\u094d\u092f\u093e \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u0935\u093f\u0926\u0947\u0936\u0940 \u0928\u093e\u0917\u0930\u093f\u0915 \u091c\u094b \u091c\u094b \u0915\u0940 \u0907\u091f\u0932\u0940 \u0914\u0930 \u0908\u0930\u093e\u0928 \u0938\u0947 \u0915\u0939\u093e \u091c\u093e \u0930\u0939\u093e \u0939\u0948 \u0905\u091a\u093e\u0928\u0915 \u092a\u0939\u0941\u0902\u091a \u0917\u092f\u093e \u0939\u0948\u0964 \u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928\u0940\u092f \u0932\u094b\u0917\u094b\u0902 \u0928\u0947 \u092a\u0941\u0932\u093f\u0938 \u0915\u094b \u0938\u0942\u091a\u0928\u093e \u0926\u0940 \u0939\u0948 \u0914\u0930 \u092a\u0941\u0932\u093f\u0938 \u0915\u0941\u091b \u0932\u094b\u0917\u094b \u0915\u094b \u091c\u093e\u0902\u091a \u0915\u0947 \u0932\u093f\u090f \u0932\u0947 \u0917\u0908 \u0939\u0948\u0964<\/p>\n

\u0932\u0947\u0915\u093f\u0928 \u092f\u0947 \u0905\u0928\u0930\u094d\u0925 \u0915\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0902 ?@NitishKumar<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/aq7zmRDorQ<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mukesh Singh@ANI (@Mukesh_Journo) March 23, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Right-wing website OpIndia<\/em><\/a> went a step further and speculated that these people could be ‘Chinese Ughyur Muslims’. “Seeing their physique, the possibility, of them being Chinese Uyghur, cannot be denied. For time being, the police are interrogating them. (translated)”<\/p>\n

Fact-check<\/h4>\n

As stated above, the video was published with two different claims. One that these people were hiding inside the mosque and the other that they are from Iran and Italy. Accordingly, we have divided the fact-check into two different sub-sections.<\/p>\n

1. Were these people infected with coronavirus and were they hiding inside the mosque in fear of being tested for the same?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Twitter handle Zaid (@pindropvolence) informed<\/a> Alt News that there were rumours circulating about foreign nationals found at Kurji mosque. Zaid had tweeted medical reports of some of these individuals which showed the results of coronavirus tests as negative.<\/p>\n

On the basis of the above details, we found a March 23 post by a Facebook page ‘Digha Samachar<\/a>‘. The post says, “Please don’t spread any kind of rumour about the foreign nationals in Kurji mosque. All of them have tested for COVID-19 and found to be negative.”<\/p>\n

We reached out to the admin of this Facebook page. He said, “The issue is related to a mosque located near gate 74 of Patna’s Kurji. These people had come from Krygyzstan in the first week of January for ‘jamaat’. Some people saw them in the mosque and quickly informed the [authorities]. The police came and took them to AIIMS. The reports of these people have come negative.”<\/p>\n

Alt News was independently able to access the reports. Each of the men has tested negative. You can see the results in the images posted below. It may be noted that out of the 12 people, ten were foreign nationals and two were local guides. Below are the medical reports of two of the tourists.<\/p>\n