In what is being seen as a serious security lapse, five Tibetans managed to reach the gates of Hotel Chola, the super deluxe hotel where Chinese President Xi Jumping was scheduled to arrive by Friday noon.
Though the route from Chennai International Airport to the hotel and the East Coast Road to Mahabalipuram were under heavy security blanket since Tuesday, the police and other security agencies were taken aback by the surprise showdown by the rebels who waved Tibetan national flag and shouted anti Chinese slogans. But the police managed to thwart their efforts to create a commotion and whisked them away within minutes.