Travel vlogger Arunima I P, from Ottapalam in Palakkad, Kerala, said on Tuesday that she was "safe" while touring Afghanistan alone, a day after she posted a message saying authorities in Bamyan had threatened to arrest her for travelling without a male companion or guide.
Kerala vlogger Arunima I P says she is safe in Afghanistan after Bamyan arrest threat
Travel vlogger Arunima I P, from Ottapalam in Palakkad, Kerala, said on Tuesday that she was "safe" while touring Afghanistan alone, a day after she posted a message saying authorities in Bamyan had threatened to arrest her for travelling without a male companion or guide.
Known online as Backpacker Arunima, the vlogger posted a message seeking help to contact the Indian embassy, which triggered concern among her followers. She shared a translated message saying she had been "arrested by mujahideen" for not having an official letter, and wrote: "I'm in trouble in Afghanistan. I'm in Bamyan."
In a subsequent post, Arunima said she was not taken to a police station or prison. Residents in Bamyan had asked her to show her passport, visa and travel permit.
As the situation grew tense, she contacted a local man who had earlier helped her reach Bamyan, and he intervened and spoke to the authorities on her behalf. She was eventually allowed to continue her journey without obtaining a permit.
- The source does not state whether Arunima I P contacted the Indian embassy or whether the embassy responded.
- The source does not reconcile her initial statement that she was "arrested by mujahideen" with her later clarification that she was not taken to a police station or prison.
- The source does not state what official letter or travel permit is required of travellers in Bamyan, or which authority requires it.
- The source does not name the local man who intervened on her behalf or say which authorities he spoke to.
- The source does not state the date or platform of the original distress post beyond saying it preceded her Tuesday statement by a day, nor where she is now or where she plans to travel next.
- The source does not state whether the translated message she shared reflects her own words or was a translation of someone else's account.
Read the original at The Times of India