A Russian couple had been living in a tent near the jungle of In McLeodGanj for the past two months. Local residents alerted the local police when they grew suspicious. The police were stunned after arresting the couple from their tent
Two foreign nationals have been arrested for residing at a tent in jungle near McLeodGanj, Himachal Pradesh. The Russian couple had been living in the tent for the past two months without valid visas. Local residents grew suspicious and told the authorities about their concern.
The couple have been identified as Yulia Julanova and Denis Larin from Russia. Yulia’s visa had expired in September 2015, while Denis’s visa expired earlier this year. Earlier, the couple had been living in Goa, before coming to McLeod Ganj jungle area for several years.
Based on a tip-off, the local police conducted a raid on the tent and arrested the couple. The couple’s arrest has raised serious questions about how such a situation went undetected for so long.
President of the Dharamshala Bar Association, Tarun Sharma, expressed his shock at the prolonged stay of foreign nationals without valid visas. He criticised both local police, security agencies and administrative bodies for their failure to notice the situation and called for a thorough investigation.
Dharamshala Municipal Corporation Mayor Neenu Sharma has also criticised the local police. She said that the bio-data of foreign tourists should be recorded and monitored. She urged all foreign visitors to register upon arrival and warned that strict actions would be taken against those who do not comply.
SP Kangra Shalini Agnihotri said that the arrests were made under the Indian penal code, applicable to individuals staying in India without valid visas. The police have lodged a case against Yulia Julanova and Denis Larin and have initiated further investigations. ASP Kangra Hitesh Lakhanpal has also confirmed the case.
