MP: Police grill two foreigners linked to Narmada stir

Barwani police quizzed two foreign nationals associated with the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) group’s ongoing ‘Narmada Jal-Zameen Haq Satyagrah’ for not informing the local authorities via Form C about their presence in the area.

Barwani police quizzed two foreign nationals associated with the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) group’s ongoing ‘Narmada Jal-Zameen Haq Satyagrah’ for not informing the local authorities via Form C about their presence in the area.

This is not the first time when foreign citizens were found participating in an agitation of NBA. (HT File Photo for representation)

According to immigration bureau, any hotel, guest house, dharmashala, individual house, university, hospital, institute and others providing accommodation to foreigners must submit the details in Form C to the registration authorities within 24 hours of the arrival. This is to help the registration authorities in locating and tracking the foreigners.

Since Thomas Ronald Gilbart (England) and Seline (Germany) didn’t stay anywhere, they should have submitted the form to the local officials directly, police said.

They joined the RallyForTheValley launched by activist Medha Patkar on the banks of the Narmada River at the Rajghat in Barwani district.

Local police sources said they brought Gilbart and Seline to the district special branch and questioned them about their intention behind the participation and why they did not submit their information through Form C.

District superintendent of police Siddharth Bahuguna said, “Both Gilbart and Seline are on tourist visa. Police let them go after verifying their documents.”

This is not the first time when foreign citizens were found participating in an agitation of NBA.

In 2004, then superintendent of police Asha Mathur issued notice to NBA after a few foreign citizens were found staying in NBA district headquarters without furnishing their details to the authorities through Form C.