Author Peter Heehs may have to leave India; MHA unlikely to intervene

New Delhi: Controversial US historian Peter Heehs may have to leave India on Sunday as the Home Ministry is unlikely to intervene in the immigration authorities' decision not to extend his visa.

Heehs, whose visa will expire on April 15, had applied for extension of his travel document before the Puducherry Foreigner Regional Registration Officer (FRRO).

But following complaints of some of the followers of Sri Aurobindo that the American historian has allegedly depicted a distorted picture of the freedom fighter and spiritual leader in a biography, the FRRO decided not to extend his visa.

The US historian had spent nearly 4 decades in India while working on a project of digitisation and archival of works of Sri Aurobindo.

When the matter was reported in the media, Home Minister P Chidambaram had announced that he had asked for a suo motu review of the case and he would take an appropriate decision.

After reviewing the case and considering several representations against Heehs, the Home Ministry is understood to have decided not to intervene in the issue.

The American historian, who is an inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, had spent nearly four decades in India while working on a project of digitisation and archival of works of freedom fighter and spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo.

Some historians had protested against the FRRO move and had also petitioned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram for reconsideration of decision.

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