7 Germans detained for holding religious events in Assam

Assam police are on alert after some foreign nationals on tourist visas were allegedly found engaging in religious activities in violation of the visa norms.

On Friday, seven German tourists were detained for violating visa norms, according to the police. Also, recently three Swedish nationals were deported after they were found to be engaged in religious teaching.

"Police are directed to keep a tab on such tourists who are here on tourist visas but engage in proselytisation or religious teaching," a police officer told ET, requesting not to be named.


Assam Police Special DGP (law & order) GP Singh told reporters, "German nationals had tourist visas and were engaged in religious activity.." The German nationals were restrained by the Golaghat District Police as they allegedly attended religious missionary gatherings in parts of Assam without a visa that permits it. They were fined $500 each.

Golaghat district Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur said, "When we checked their visas, we found that they had tourist visas. They cannot carry out any missionary work on tourist visas, and we informed them that they have violated the visa rules. They will be deported to their country on Saturday."

The German nationals are said to have attended religious gatherings in Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong and halted in Golaghat. They had plans of visiting different areas, but they were stopped by police.

They have been identified as Asmus Merten, Bloemlisa Aimee, Von Oheim Cornelia Elisaveth Friederike, Hinrich Andreas, Michael Erich Schaper and Olearius Chrisia Dorothea. Three Swedish nationals--Marcus, Hanna and Susanna--were deported to Stockholm on Thursday after being fined $500 each for visa violation.

Following the arrest of 17 Bangladeshi nationals for alleged visa norms violation, Assam police had recently stated that there is increasing tendency among the Bangladeshi clerics to hold religious meets in remote areas in violation of visa norms.