NEW DELHI, Aug 8: The government in the Indian state of Maharashtra has issued directives to the state police to thoroughly investigate every Muslim who travels abroad, The Asian Age reported on Tuesday.

A well known Muslim personality linked with Mumbai’s film industry told Dawn that an industry colleague, also a Muslim, was indeed questioned by the state police upon his return from a foreign location assignment.

The Age said senior executives in multinational outfits were visited at their residences by police inspectors who asked questions and demanded to see copies of their passports. The police officers insisted on letters from the executives’ employers certifying the travel.

The newspaper quoted well placed sources as saying that a directive had been issued by the government and the state police had to act on it. The state government is run by a coalition of parties, led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Congress.

“Every Muslim was under close watch and had to provide proof of his travel as well as letters justifying it as and when approached by the police,” the Age said, quoting sources.

It said social activists in Mumbai claim that “thousands” of Muslims have been arrested from different parts of the city in the wake of the July 11 blasts. The police are said to be refusing to give details, or even the proof required for the detention.

“It could not be ascertained if the directive covered Muslims travelling to all parts of the world, or just to selected countries,” the newspaper said.