Amid Dalai Lama visit to Bodh Gaya, police take Chinese woman into custody for visa overstay

Gaya Police had received a security alert and issued a sketch of the woman with her passport and visa details.

The Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya on Thursday. (PTI)

Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Harpreet Kaur said: “We have received input regarding a Chinese woman’s overstay. We have been talking to monasteries… We have already intensified security for the visiting Dalai Lama, whose security is our top agenda.”

She added that as a standard security protocol, everyone living in monasteries has been issued identity cards.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday called it “a security issue” and declined to comment further on it.

The Dalai Lama is in Bodh Gaya for his annual Kaal Chakra Puja, which is taking place after a two-year pandemic hiatus. While the event started Thursday, the spiritual leader has been in the town since December 22.

The Mahabodhi Temple, adjoining temples and monasteries have had heavy security cover for the last fortnight in view of the puja.

In January, 2018, a low-intensity bomb exploded and two live ones were detected in Bodh Gaya. At the time, the Dalai Lama, along with several Buddhist pilgrims, was camping in the town to participate in the puja.

In 2021, a special NIA court convicted eight out of nine Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members for their role in the IED explosion.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Thursday: “It looks like a security issue, I don’t have any update on it. I certainly don’t think this is the right forum to talk about security-related aspects.”

He said the government has a liaison officer there, but refused to make any further comments on the matter.

With PTI inputs