Assam: Police interrogate Kaziranga resort owner, tourist guides accompanying 7 detained German nationals

The Golaghat police interrogated two persons including the owner of the resort near Kaziranga on October 29 night, who were accompanying the seven German nationals detained in Kaziranga for allegedly flouting visa norms and indulging in religious activities on October 28. 

There has been an allegation that these people were involved in religious conversion though Assam police did not confirm if these charges are true

Last night on October 29, one Mukut Bodra from Jharkhand and Barnabas Terang from Karbi Anglong who were the tourist guides for the seven detained German tourists, and Manju Barua, owner of the resort named Wild Grass in Kaziranga, were brought to the Kahora police station for questioning by the Golaghat police.

As per reports, the seven tourists from Germany had allegedly visited churches in Tinsukia, Margherita, Rangagara and Diphu in Karbi-Anglong before coming to Kaziranga.

On the other hand, the two persons taken for interrogation, have denied all allegations against them and claimed that they have not invited the German nationals. 

"They were certainly involved in religious activities though I'm not competent to say if they were indulging in conversion or not. They came here on tourist visas. For taking part in religious activities, they needed to take missionary visas. For now, we have detained them, asked them to pay the fine for flouting visa norms and leave the country, as per the law," Special DGP of Assam Police GP Singh told India Today NE.

Singh claimed that police have retrieved video graphics evidence from the German nationals which prove their involvement in religious activities. 

The detained persons have been identified as Christian Reiser, Michael Erich Schaper, Merten Asmus, Cornelia Von Oneimb, Hinrich Luppen-Von Oneimb, Christa Olearius and Lisa Aimee Bloom.

All the seven nationals, who have come to India on Tourist Visa, have been detained under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and will bear a penalty of $500 each and be released, failing which they will be arrested.

It is to be noted that a team of Golaghat police has already arrived in Delhi with the seven detained German tourists.

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