Maria B's husband arrested for sending coronavirus-infected chef home via bus, released on bail

In more coronavirus-related celebrity news, Lahore-based designer Maria Butt - more commonly known as Maria B - revealed that Punjab police raided her home in the early hours of Tuesday and arrested her husband, Malik Tahir Saeed.

In a tear-filled video message released on social media, the designer claimed that police told the couple there is an FIR against Saeed and did not allow him to consult a lawyer at the time.

However, a spokesman for Lahore police confirmed that it apprehended Saeed for putting many lives at risk after he sent the family's chef, who tested positive for COVID19, home to his village near Vehari by bus without informing authorities or getting him any treatment.

https://twitter.com/iRaiSaqib/status/1242413445053628416

Upon reaching Vehari, the chef reported to local authorities, who traced Saeed in Lahore.

Maria B's appeal for sympathy was widely panned on social media, with many calling her irresponsible for endangering countless lives, refusing to treat an employee with care and displaying further entitled behaviour in her video by calling on Prime Minster Imran Khan to release her husband.

Saeed was booked Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule) of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as Article 144 and 143 of the Police Order, 2002. He was released on bail by Lahore High Court later on Monday evening, a decision which was also publicly criticised but "according to the law", said a statement by the Lahore police spokesperson.

Maria and her husband released another video statement, in which he said he did not resist arrest when 20-25 armed police came to get him at 12:30am on Monday, and that travelling to his village Karampur was the chef's own decision. The couple added that they had received no guidance on further steps on what to do once the chef's test results came back positive.

In an anonymous audio recording circulating on social media media, a police officer familiar with the case said, “They are inhuman. They could have called on the federal government’s helpline or 1033 for further guidance. We would've picked up [the chef] ourselves, but instead, they forced him out of the house."

"That man is a resident of Mailsi, Vehari. He endangered passengers in two different buses in addition to the people of his village."

"I have met with senior officers and there have been questions that this [incident] could have fallen under Section 324 (attempt to murder with intention or knowledge) for releasing a grave potential threat to society."