Kerala: Police pick up 'suspicious person'

Kochi, Jan 23: The city police picked up a man from Tiruchirapalli on suspicion from the venue of an international conference on the 'India/China/USA Triangle' here as he could not give any explanation for his presence at the meeting, being attended by several foreign delegates.

Police today said they detained P Mohammad Rafiq, 28, from the SCMS College at Kalmaserry here last evening after the college authorities complained about his unauthorised presence at the venue.

According to Aluva police where the 'intruder' was taken said he was being questioned and a message had been sent to Tiruchirapalli to check his antecedents.

Dr Raman Nair of the SCMS College said the conference organisers called the police last evening when the man was found sitting in the conference hall even after the sessions were over. He had reportedly been present through all the sessions of the conference yesterday.

''As this was a conference being attended by only select delegates, we questioned him but he could not give any explanation for his presence,'' Dr Nair said.

Police, however, did not say whether Rafiq had any LTTE connection.

The three-day conference has been organised by the Centre for National Renaissance, Delhi, headed by Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy.

Several high profile dignitaries from India, China and the US are attending the meet. Former Pakistan Finance Minister S J Burki, former Indian Foreign Secretary Salman Haider and Editor-in-Chief of the English daily 'The Hindu' Mr N Ram are among the delegates to address the conference on the concluding day today.

UNI