Three Christian missionaries from the United States were deported in the early hours of today for violating visa rules.
The police said that Philip Craig Alien, Clover Steve Edwards and Richard Wayne Jenel were put on flight lx 155 at 1.00 am. The trio were part of a team on a tourist visa and they had violated the rules by indulging in preaching.
Police suspect that the four US nationals had come to Mumbai with some specific mission and “their visit to Malad to address a congregation did not appear to be as simple as it meets the eye”.
They were questioned by the Special Branch sleuths yesterday, before police decided to deport them for violation of visa rules.
A Special Branch official said that Philip Allan, one of the four US nationals, has a multiple-entry visa and frequently visited India and neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“He is not a business traveler and therefore his frequent visits to India and adjoining countries raises suspicion in the backdrop of the Malad incident,” the official said.
Police said the role of a school teacher from Malad, who had arranged the congregation in which the US nationals had participated, was also being probed.
“There is something fishy about
their visit which needs to be probed further,” the official said.
The US nationals were attending
a congregation on Saturday night, when a group of people allegedly assaulted
them.
Special Branch officials, however,
denied that VHP or Shiv Sena members were involved in the assault. “This
appears to be a spontaneous reaction from the Malvani residents, who thought
the congregation was meant for conversions,” police said.