40 foreign students missing in K’taka

BANGALORE: Over 40 foreign students studying in professional colleges in Karnataka have gone missing, causing concern in the state police force, especially in view of the UK terror plot.

The students—from Pakistan, Bangladesh , Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq and Iran—had enrolled in colleges in Bangalore, Mysore and Bellary. “After the detention of Mohammed Haneef in Australia, these students have not been seen on campuses. Also, they have not given any intimation or explanation to the college authorities about their absence. We are collecting details of the students,’’ a senior police officer told TOI.

Following the UK terror plot, the police had asked all professional colleges to submit details of the foreign students on their rolls. It was during this process that the police learnt to their shock that more than 40 students had gone missing.

With orders coming from the Karnataka home department to collect details of the students, the police have decided to check the places in which the students had stayed and grill the owners. The intelligence department has already collected details of their passports, visas as well as their photographs. While information has been sent to the Union foreign ministry , the state anti-terrorist cell has also got involved with the probe.

Ten Pakistanis who came to Bangalore during the India-Pakistan cricket series in 2005 are also on the list of missing foreigners. Their names are Zulfikar Ahmed, Mohd Anwar, Mohd Bilal, Inayat Khan, Baaz Mohd, Noor Ahmed, Khoran Ali, Mohd Noor, Mohd Yasin and Mohd Shah