A 56-year-old man was detained from the lobby of The leela Palace hotel where John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, had stayed on Tuesday night. The person was caught holding a sharp object.
According to a senior police official, the accused has been identified as Uday Ratra — who is a native of Sangroor in Punjab and was staying in Gurgaon — was once blacklisted by the same hotel in South Delhi for his misconduct.
“The accused is mentally unfit and is a habitual offender. He was previously arrested once in a theft case in Saket in South Delhi,” said the official.
When a security guard found a sharp object in his pocket, they raised an alarm. “The accused then sensing trouble tried to escape and also tore the uniform of the guard. After the accused was held, a call was made to the police and immediately a team rushed to the hotel,” said the official.
The accused was then taken to Sarojini Nagar police station and questioned for over an hour by police and special cell officials.
Meanwhile, police said the man has a history of creating nuisance when foreign dignitaries are here.
The incident raised security concerns and more police force was deployed at the hotel for protection.