Bihar Cops Search For Suspected Chinese "Spy" Ahead Of Dalai Lama Visit

A security alert has been sounded today morning in Bodh Gaya district where the Dalai Lama is scheduled to participate in public discourses after intelligence agencies alerted local police about the presence and suspected activities of a Chinese woman.

Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Harpreet Kaur said "Local police has received inputs about a Chinese woman who has been living in Gaya. We were getting inputs on her for the last two years. In view of this, an alert has been given and searches are underway."

"There is no information at present about the location of the Chinese woman. We cannot rule out suspicion of her being a Chinese spy," SSP Ms Kaur said.

Sketches of the suspected Chinese spy, identified as Song Xiaolan has been released and circulated on social media on Wednesday with authorities requesting local residents to provide information about her.

The Central security and intelligence agencies have also been informed about this and searches for her are underway.

According to inputs, the suspected Chinese spy had been living in different parts of the country including Bodh Gaya for more than one year. However, there is no record in the foreign section about the stay of the Chinese woman.

The Dalai Lama has this year resumed his annual tour to Bodh Gaya, which had been suspended for the last two years due to the Covidpandemic.

Security has been increased in and around the Mahabodhi Temple Complex.

The Dalai Lama addressed a gathering this morning at the 'Kaal Chakra' maidan. He is slated to give his address every day for three days till December 31.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)