Airport sources said that the man, identified as Ndiye Madar, arrived from Doha at 2.30 am on Friday. While checking his papers, the immigration officials found that he was not in possession of certain documents mandatory for people travelling from Africa. After consulting higher ups in Delhi, the immigration officials decided to deport him back to Doha from where he arrived. 

As per procedure, Qatar Airways was asked to take back Madar to Doha aboard Saturday’s Chennai – Doha flight. The passenger was then detained in a room at 5.30 am near the immigration checking hall and was kept under the CISF and immigration watch. But later around noon, they found that the man from the Senegal was missing. Though different agencies immediate began searching for the passenger, they couldn’t locate him till late in the evening. 

Sources said he could have walked out of the airport as a regular passenger, adding that the 7-tier security enforced was mainly in place to make sure nobody entered the airport without being checked. Sources noted that it was the duty of immigration officials to keep the passenger in safe custody and also make sure that he was sent back. 

The airlines may not have a facility to keep such passengers, sources added. The CISF, entrusted with the safe keeping of the airport, may not detain such passengers unless they were given a written request. However, immediately after learning that a foreign passenger, who was detained for deportation had escaped from airport, various central and state security agencies conducted enquires and the Airport Police finally registered a  complaint in this regard.   

Sources also noted that though scores of passengers are deported every week, no passenger would try to escape from the airport because all travel papers would be with the immigration officials. 

In this case, the man from Senegal decided to escape from the detention and blend with the crowd without any documents. It is not clear if he had any other documents in his possession to show his nationality for seeking accommodation in city hotels.