French institute head caught with charas

The director of Alliance Francaise, an institute which propagates French language and culture in India, has fled to France a month after being arrested for possessing charas.

Isabelle Normand was apprehended in Himachal Pradesh last month after officials conducting a routine check on buses found her in possession of 250 gm of charas. She was headed for Kullu.

Normand was produced before a local court and then put behind bars for a couple of days. The police then intimated the French Embassy about Normand’s arrest.

However, when Normand was released on bail, the French Embassy immediately sent her to France.

Officials at Allaince Francaise here confirmed the incident but refused to divulge details, stating that the French Embassy could be contacted for more information. An official from the institute said  a new director would be joining them shortly.

But it remains to be seen if the French authorities will take any further action against the Alliance Francaise director.