Chinese woman detained in Bodh Gaya, slapped with "Leave India" notice

Bodh Gaya: Police on Thursday said it has tracked down a Chinese woman, the reports of whose presence at the Buddhist pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar's Gaya district, on a day the Dalai Lama commenced his three-day public discourses, had triggered security concerns.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Gaya, Harpreet Kaur, told PTI the foreign national was picked up from a guest house at Maharani Road in Bodh Gaya and she turned out to be an ardent follower of the Buddhist preacher.

"A search was launched for her after an intimation from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office at Kolkata that she had violated visa norms that allowed her to stay for not more than 90 days at a stretch".

"She has been in India since October, 2019. She went to Nepal in January 2020 for four days and upon return to India, settled in McLeod Ganj", said the SSP.

The Chinese woman came to Bodh Gaya on December 22, coinciding with the Dalai Lama's visit to the international pilgrimage centre.

"She was accompanied by another woman from Nepal whom she had met in Dharamshala. The Nepalese woman has also been taken into custody for interrogation", added the SSP.

The Chinese national's visa has been cancelled by FRRO, Kolkata and she has been slapped with a "Leave India" notice. Accordingly, she will be sent to Delhi for repatriation, said the SSP.