CHENNAI (TIP): Ameer Thwaha, 35, who was detained for trying to take photographs of Union finance minister P Chidambaram was sent to Puzhal prison on Thursday even as the minister wanted him released.

Chidambaram, in a statement on Thursday, said he was not aware of the arrest. “I do not know why police detained the person. I have asked my office to get in touch with the Tamil Nadu police and request them to release the person immediately,” he said. “I was surprised and disappointed to learn that a person who reportedly attempted to take some pictures of me was detained by police at Chennai airport. I did not know about the incident until the media reported it yesterday evening,” he added.

Earlier, Thwaha was detained in October after he clicked pictures of a Dreamliner plane and abruptly got out before it was to take off. Thwaha’s posts on a social networking site show that he had a penchant for planes and airports. A photograph posted by him early this month shows him leaping, with a flight taking off in the background. The photo was shot near an airport. Responding to comments from his friends, Thwaha posted: “This is our airport, dear … Cochin International Airport.” He also loves taking photographs with celebrities and VIPs at airports. Among his photographs are one with film director Priyadarshan at Kochi airport, and another with actor John Abraham. Thwaha told police during questioning that his penchant to take pictures of celebrities started after he got positive comments on a photograph that he had posted on a social networking site. However, his explanations did not convince the police.

Ameer Thwaha also told police that he loves to travel by Air India‘s Dreamliner. He had posted pictures of the aircraft when he boarded the plane to fly to Delhi from Chennai. However, he disembarked before the flight was to take off, for some unexplained reason.