Iranian blogger booked by burdwan police for overstaying - the statesman

Majid Mohammed Husseini, a resident of Iran, who claimed to be a travel blogger, was arrested at Burdwan Sadar police station yesterday after his visa lapsed about seventeen days ago. The

Iranian had arrived in Burdwan after staying in Kolkata and New Delhi, driving a vehicle and staying at a hotel in Kantapukur area in Burdwan town of East Burdwan district. Burdwan Sadar

police station has also seized the vehicle in which he travelled. Advertisement While the accused was unable to submit any identity card, he submitted his passport. The hotel authorities

then informed the police about the Iranian national. Burdwan Sadar police station first found it tough to talk and interrogate him as he did not understand any language other than Persian or

Iranian. Advertisement Later, a cyber expert joined the interrogations and he was interrogated through Google translator system. He told the police that he is a travel blogger, who arrived

in India last month while his visa expired on 2 May. But, he failed to explain why he overstayed and did not return to Iran when his visa expired. Burdwan Sadar police station forwarded him

to court, which sent him to 14 days judicial custody. The Union home ministry has been informed by the East Burdwan police about the arrest. The Iranian Embassy has also been intimated in

New Delhi. Arka Banerjee, SP of East Burdwan, said that the ministry of external affairs has also been intimated and all his documents have been seized by Burdwan Sadar police station. The

arrest of an Iranian travel blogger has created a stir as this is the second such incident after a travel blogger from Haryana, Jyoti Malhotra has been arrested for espionage along with four

others only a couple of days ago. Jyoti Malhotra also visited Siliguri and stayed at a hotel there. Advertisement