Three Bangladesh Tablighi Jamaat preachers, part of an 11-member group from the neighbouring country imprisoned at the Puzhal central prison, have tested positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19).

The rest eight preachers were also screened for Coronvirus at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital and they have been put up at the Corona ward of the hospital, a Times of India report said.

Police said eleven Bangladesh preachers had attended the Tablighi Jamaat Nizamuddin Aalami Markaz congregations last month in Delhi before coming to Chennai.

The 11 were detained on the grounds of violating the Foreigners Act, which bars anyone on visitor’s visa to indulge in religious activities. Besides, cases under the Epidemic Diseases Act and disobeying quarantine rule and acting negligently resulting in the spread of diseases.

All of them were lodged at a borstal of the Central prison in suburban Puzhal that was earlier used for housing convicted prisoners.

With 76 more persons testing positive for Coronavirus in Tamil Nadu, the State has totally 1,596 persons affected by the pandemic virus.

Of these, at least 85 per cent have tested Coronavirus positive after attending the Tabligh Jamaat congregations at the Nizamuddin Markaz.

While 17 persons have died of Covid-19, 457 have recovered.