Two Trinidadians had a brush with the law in India earlier this week, after they were suspected of attempting to hatch a jailbreak in Ajmeer, Rajasthan. Cousins Mariel and Amanda Sabga, in India to attend the wedding of a friend they met at university, were initially questioned by police after the hot air balloon carrying them landed in the middle of a prison on Tuesday, sparking a major security alert, Sky News reported.
Authorities in the prison had feared the balloon’s occupants were trying to rescue inmates when they saw it approaching, since the area is a high security zone. As such, they had already confined all the inmates to their barracks by the time it landed. The women boarded the balloon in Pushkar to get an aerial view of the region’s famous annual animal fair. But pilot Dhawal Kedar lost control in high winds and ended up having to force a landing inside the jail after he crossed security lines.
The Sabgas and the pilot were questioned for nearly two hours until the police were convinced the incident was an accident. The policemen, the women said, were polite and courteous. All hot air balloon rides over the fair were cancelled as a result of the incident. A case has also been filed against the tour operator for “unlawful entry” into the jail and their licences were revoked.
The cousins yesterday opted for a safer and uneventful ride on an elephant.