CHENNAI: A foreigner-couple, which allegedly caused a ruckus at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office on Tuesday, was arrested by the city police.
The woman reportedly bit the hands of a policewoman at the FRRO. However, the couple was let off on station bail later in the night after a stringent warning. Police said the couple identified as Morales Lorca Byron Alberto (38), a Chilean national, and his wife Deanne Michelle Wayt, (28), a US national, approached the FRRO seeking to register their stay.
But, the couple had missed the deadline to register their stay and was asked to pay a penalty of `1,800. The foreigners argued that they don’t have to pay any penalty for the registration and claimed that they had information from their respective Consulates.
The FRRO officials tried to explain to them that it was the procedure in every case of registration and a penalty would be imposed.
As per the immigration rules, any foreigner visiting the country with employment visa which is valid for more than 180 days would have to get their stay registered with the FRRO concerned within 14 days of their arrival, irrespective of the duration of the stay.
But, the woman who was staying in the country for the past five months and had been providing speech therapy for a special child whose father runs a leading textile chain in the State.
Her husband had come down on a tourist visa three months ago and was staying with her in a bungalow at Neelankarai, organised by the textile chain owner.
Trouble brewed after the woman pulled out her mobile phone and began taking pictures of the officials and videographing the conversations.
Immigration officials immediately sought the help of the police who were in plain clothes for the purpose of security. A woman constable who attempted to calm down the speech therapist and take her away was bitten by the speech therapist leaving the constable with a bleeding injury.