Assam youth detained for trespassing on OTA premises in Chennai

CHENNAI: A 28-year-old man from Assam was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly trespassing into a highly-secured Officers Training Academy (OTA) in St Thomas Mount, sparking concerns over a potential security breach amid heightened tensions along India’s borders.

The incident occurred around 1:30 am when security personnel at the OTA’s mess area noticed Monuj Das, a resident of Assam, behaving suspiciously inside the restricted zone.

Authorities swiftly apprehended him and handed him over to the St Thomas Mount police for further investigation. Preliminary inquiries revealed that Das had arrived in Chennai by train from Assam four days ago and had been “moving around various locations” in the city.

However, his motives for infiltrating the tightly-guarded military facility remain unclear. The OTA, which trains Army officers, is designated a high-security zone, raising serious questions about how Das bypassed surveillance and entry protocols.

Police registered a case and are conducting intense interrogations, as Das reportedly provided “contradictory statements,” deepening suspicions. “His inconsistent answers and unexplained presence in a sensitive area have heightened scrutiny. We’re exploring all angles, including potential links to broader threats,” a senior police official stated.

The timing of the incident has amplified alarm, as India faces escalated tensions with Pakistan along the western border. Assam, Das’s home state, shares a sensitive border with Bangladesh and is proximate to conflict-prone regions in the northeast. Investigators are now deliberating whether to transfer him to higher security agencies for advanced interrogation, given the strategic implications.

As investigations continue, authorities remain tight-lipped about potential charges.