Four foreigners held in Bodhgaya

Gaya, January 18. 2003 (PTI) -

Four foreigners - a Tibetan and three Nepalese - have been taken into custody by the police in Bihar's Bodhgaya where Kalchakra puja, the most sacred of the rituals of Mahayana sect of Buddhism, is in progress amidst heightened security measures, Police said today.

Superintendent of Police Ravindran Shankaran said today the four were held from Kalchakra maidan on Friday on a specific complaint lodged with the police about their alleged 'dubious activities' by Noduk, the Security Secretary of the 'Tibetan government in exile'.

The four, suspected to be anti-Dalai Lama cult members, were identified as Kamal Shrestha, Sonam Topgyal, Thusan Lama and Ramesh Lama alias Saraki Lama, according to the police.

They were interrogated in police custody, Shankaran said.

Meanwhile, security measures have been further intensified around the Kalchakra maidan with the ceremony in progress, the SP said.

The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is camping at Bodhgaya for the Kalchakra puja.