US national detained at IGI for suspected terror links

A 61-year-old American national was detained at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi late Wednesday night minutes before he was to board a Qatar-bound flight after a knife was found in his hand baggage.

A 61-year-old American national was detained at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi late Wednesday night minutes before he was to board a Qatar-bound flight after a knife was found in his hand baggage.

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Reminiscent of the case of terror suspect David Headley, arrested in Chicago in October last for allegedly plotting terror strikes in India, Kensinghton Carmichael is a convert from Christianity to Islam.

The New York resident changed his religion some 40 years ago.

Carmichael, who was flying to Doha in a Qatar Airways flight, is being questioned by security agencies and the American Mission had been informed about the same, sources said.

The New York resident had arrived in India for the first time a fortnight ago on a tourist visa and travelled to various parts of the national capital.

Carmichael, who has a tourist visa to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, came here from Pakistan.

He had visited Pakistan and Bangladesh on earlier occasions also.

Delhi Police Special Cell and IB is questioning him.

According to airport sources, during the security check CISF found the knife concealed between a herbal plant ‘Shilajit´. He was then handed over to the police.