A German national who was deported from the airport here early on Tuesday is suspected to be part of a “think-tank” behind the anti-nuclear energy protests in Tamil Nadu.
Highly placed police sources said that despite a ‘Look-Out Circular' (LOC) issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Sonneteg Rainer Hermann (49) managed to enter the country on a tourist visa recently.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Mr. Hermann was in touch with S.P. Udayakumar, convener of the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE). He not only participated in anti-nuclear energy agitations but also took photographs of the events to document them.
“We suspect that he was working for someone…there is no need for a German tourist to visit India often and remain in Nagercoil. We have evidence that he was in touch with Udayakumar. He took part in the candle light agitation organised in Nagercoil against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project on May 23, 2010,” an investigator told ‘The Hindu'.
Parrying questions on how he managed to enter India when there was an LOC, the official said there could have been some communication gap in the circular reaching the authorities concerned. “Following a tip-off, we mounted surveillance on him since January 2010. He gave ideas to the agitators on how they should keep their sentiments alive …When questioned about his continuous presence in the area, he said he preferred to stay in Nagercoil because he loved the climate there.”
Intelligence officials believe Mr. Hermann was working for some foreign institution or agency.
A top official familiar with the investigation said he visited Thailand, Nepal and Cambodia in the recent years.
“His target was developing countries. We have strong reasons to believe that he was working for some individual, institution or foreign agency. Hermann was never a tourist here…he was only master-minding the anti-nuclear energy agitation,” the official added.
Software professional
Sources in the intelligence agencies said Hermann was a software professional. He visited the KKNPP once and took photographs.
Following an alert from the Intelligence Bureau that he was actively indulging in activities that were not in the interest of the Central and State governments, a team of the ‘Q' Branch CID of the State police detained him, the sources said and added that efforts were on to ascertain whether Mr. Hermann funded the anti-nuclear energy agitations.
A ‘Q' Branch CID official said a joint interrogation team scrutinised his laptop, memory card, mobile phone and digital camera.
“We are trying to check why he visited Nepal so frequently and on his activities there. He was in touch with the anti-nuclear protesters since 1992,” he added.
