Armed controversy
The alleged passage of an armed US national, 56-year-old Sellemeyer Larry from Arizona, through the Indira Gandhi International Airport has raised massive security concerns.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, which has initiated an inquiry into the case, says it is difficult to go by what Larry said during initial interrogation.
Senior officials say first, it needs to be established if Larry was actually carrying the loaded pistol and 35 rounds of live ammunition with him when he left the Delhi airport for Chennai on May 27. And if that is established, say officials, Larry’s offense will be a major security breach on part of the authorities, not just in Delhi but also in the US, who allowed him to carry the arms and ammunition outside the country, that too without the required documents.
There are also some senior officials who think Larry might be an undercover security agent of the US or a sky marshal, for the country to have allowed him to carry loaded arms to India without check.