E-Paper
Three US nationals asked to leave India over tourist visa violation
Pune police have issued ‘Leave India’ notice to three American nationals after they were allegedly found engaging in religious activities while staying in the country on tourist visas
PUNE: Pune police have issued a “Leave India” notice to three American nationals after they were allegedly found engaging in religious activities while staying in the country on tourist visas, officials said on Wednesday.
According to police, the three men were recently spotted distributing religious pamphlets in the Sadashiv Peth area. Local residents alerted the police after noticing their activities.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch) Sandip Bhajibhakare said all three individuals are US citizens. One of them is a senior citizen, while the other two are aged between 45 and 50 years.
“During verification, it was found that the three men had entered India on tourist visas. They were distributing pamphlets carrying content related to the Christian faith in English, Marathi and Hindi,” Bhajibhakare said.
Following an inquiry, police concluded that the activities allegedly violated the conditions of their tourist visas. Authorities subsequently issued them a “Leave India” notice directing them to exit the country by May 10.
Officials said the three men had stayed in Mumbai before arriving in Pune around a week ago.
Police are also investigating whether any local individuals or organisations were associated with them during their stay in the city. (With agency inputs)
