Missing French national was tour operator: Police

Police said the 39-year-old French national, who went missing from a hotel in East Delhi's Anand Vihar on Sunday, was a tour operator who had come to the country with a 35-member group on January 14.

The group had come on a tour to India and was to return to France on January 29.

After Pascal Julien Lagarrigue, a resident of Saint Pierre in France, went missing, members of the travelling group told police that they were had given him Rs 10 lakh on January 15, which they were unable to locate.

"We have found some leads that strengthens our suspicion on the conduct and character of the tour operator. We cannot say that Lafarrigue took the money and fled before completing the investigation. We are investigating the matter," a senior police officer said.

It was found that Lagarrigue had taken some luggage and his passport while leaving the hotel.

On January 16, Pascal Julien Lagarrigue, a resident of Saint Pierre in France, who checked in at Hotel Park Plaza in CBD ground, Anand Vihar, left his hotel at 8 am without informing anyone in the group.

In her complaint to the police, Pascal's wife Marie Marthe Natalie said: "Around 8 am, Pascal left the hotel without informing any member of the group. He hasn't returned to the hotel or informed anyone of his whereabouts."

The police registered a case of abduction under Section 365 of the IPC at the Anand Vihar police station.

"During investigations, we conducted enquiries at the hotel and a woman staff member who catered to Pascal at the hotel, informed that he left in the morning on January 16, after asking for directions to Rajiv Chowk Metro station. We are analysing CCTV footage at Preet Vihar Metro station, where he was last seen on January 16," a senior police officer had said on Monday.

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