Breach of security as Kalam made to walk in search of his car

KOCHI: In an apparent breach of security, former President A P J Abdul Kalam was forced to walk for nearly 15 minutes in search of his car in a private medical college premises here after attending a function on Thursday.

Kalam was in the Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) premises this evening to inaugurate a PET CT scanner. After the function, he was taken to the Nano Technology and Nuclear Medicine Department by the AIMS officials.

As he emerged out of the block, total confusion prevailed with his car nowhere in sight.

Not making any fuss, Kalam started walking, looking for the car, accompanied by hardly four police officials.

Even after Kalam reached the main entrance after about 15 minutes of walk around the hospital complex, he could not find the vehicle.

An exasperated Kalam then said, "In this case, we can walk all the way to the airport," eyewitnesses said.

After sometime, the vehicle finally arrived where Kalam was waiting.

Police, however, said the confusion arose as the vehicle was parked at the main gate where Kalam had got down while he made his exit through another point of the sprawling complex.

They maintained that there was no breach of security. Patients and visitors at the hospital were, however, pleasantly surprised to see the VVIP in their midst. Some of them photographed him on their mobile phones while others took his autograph.

After the vehicle finally arrived, Kalam rushed to the airport to catch a flight to Chennai.