10 French nationals on Red turf deported

The Bihar government 'deported' 10 French nationals - six of them women - out of the state on Sunday for their alleged involvement in Maoist activities and visa rule violations. HT reports.

The Bihar government 'deported' 10 French nationals - six of them women - out of the state on Sunday for their alleged involvement in Maoist activities and visa rule violations.

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A police team escorted them to Patna, from where they were to take a flight to Kolkata.

The French nationals were detained late on Saturday night near Nawada town after they were found moving in Maoist hotbeds and holding farmers' meetings.

Ekta Parishad, the NGO which organised the meetings, claims to be a non-violent people's movement working on land, water and forest rights.

"The French nationals had violated visa conditions," union home secretary RK Singh told HT from New Delhi.

"All of them were working for an NGO believed to have links with frontal organisations of Maoists," he said.

Visa rule 3.3 prohibits a foreigner on a tourist/business visa from engaging in socio-political activities, said Kumar Rajesh Chandra, Bihar's additional DGP (intelligence).

The foreigners had come to India early this month and were camping in Bihar after touring south India. While nine of them had come on tourist visas, one had an employment permit to work in Bhopal.

But while in Bihar, they visited Maoist hotbeds -- Jamui and Simultala -- and held meetings deep in the forests, the police said.

During questioning, the French nationals feigned ignorance about the NGO's alleged links with Maoists, an officer said.

They had claimed they were on way to Rajgir and Bodh Gaya, both tourist centres.

But police sources said they were actually moving towards Qadirganj in Nawada district, another Maoist hotbed, when they were intercepted.