Dharamshala: Police have arrested a US national living in Mcleodganj area of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh without a valid visa for the last two years, official sources said on Friday. The US national identified as Micah Taylor Height, 28 was arrested following intelligence inputs that he had been living in Mcleodganj area of Kangra district since 2021, Kangra SP Hitesh Lakhanpal said.
Following the inputs, a special team of police raided the locality and arrested the US national, the SP said. A case under relevant sections of law has been registered against the accused, SP Kangra said. He said that when Kangra police asked for visa and passport from the foreign national, he had neither of the two prompting police to arrest him.
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It is learnt that the US national, who is said to be from New Jersey in the US, has told the police that he has lost or burnt his passport. SP Kangra said that the foreign national was produced in the court on Friday, after which the court sent him to day's police remand. The SP said that the statement of the alleged US national has been shared with the US embassy to cross check his credentials.
Kangra Police is also investigating whether this citizen is actually a resident of US or not. He has told police that he is a follower of Buddhism because of which he was living in Mcleodganj. Significantly, Mcleodganj is the residence of Tibetan Buddhist religious leader Dalai Lama. Besides, there is also a famous Buddhist temple in Mcleodganj.
Thousands of foreign nationals come to Mcleodganj every year to pay obeisance at the temple.
