Police on Tuesday detained and took to an isolation centre 11 foreign nationals who had been staying at a place of prayer in Tamar block of Ranchi district.

The men, who the police said are in India with valid documents, are from China, Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic. They were picked up from Rargaon under Tamar police station area, around 75km south-east of the state capital.

“They were later taken to an isolation centre and the matter is being investigated,” said Bundu deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Ajay Kumar. “They will be kept under observation and their medical examination will be done as we have been facing the threat of the coronavirus.”

The men were taken to constable training centre at the Musabani police training centre under Ghatshila sub-division of East Singhbhum district for their quarantine.

Contacted, state health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni said that the 11 men seemed to be preachers and they were staying at the religious place.

“Since they are foreign nationals and they have travel history we decided to put them in quarantine. This is a serious matter that strangers are harboured this way. They have travel history and they must have come in touch with a number of people. We are appealing to people to help the administration (contain the virus threat),” said Kulkarni.

East Singhbhum district civil surgeon Dr Maheshwar Prasad said a team of epidemiologists has been asked to conduct medical check-ups on the 11.

Bundu DSP Ajay Kumar said the local administration and police acted after getting intelligence inputs that some strangers have been staying at the religious place.

“All of them have passports and it seems that they came here during the last week of February and the first week of this month,” said the DSP. He said the men's passports had been seized, and the police were questioning the head of the place of prayer on how the 11 men came here and who brought them here.

“As per the rule if you are providing accommodation to any foreigner the local police station must be informed. This is just like tenant verification,” the DSP added.

The incident sparked fear among local residents.

“Imagine that around a dozen foreign nationals from China and Kyrgyzstan were living in our locality and local police and intelligence agencies were not aware of this,” said Astik Mahato, a student. “China is the birthplace of the novel coronavirus and we are naturally worried that some people of that country are living here.”

A Ranchi police official, who requested anonymity, pleaded helplessness.

“At least the foreign ministry should issue a list of status of foreign visitors in India,” the official said.