PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA: Twelve people, including a six-year-old child, representing the banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) were arrested outside the Prime Minister's Office here yesterday.

The group, comprising eight men, three women and the child, were taken in by the police at 3.45pm while trying to hand a memorandum to the Prime Minister.

The group was the first to be arrested since Hindraf was declared illegal by the authorities.

One of the three women picked up was K. Shanti, wife of Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy, who is in self-exile in London, and the child is believed to be their six-year-old daughter Vwaishhnnavi.

The group was later taken to the police station here.

It is believed there were some 50 police officers - both plainclothes and uniformed - at the scene.

Earlier, the group - led by national event coordinator R. Kannan - had told reporters at the guardhouse they were at the office to "deliver their Deepavali wishes" and that they were there as "individuals and not as the group Hindraf."

They also had with them a copy of the letter from the United Kingdom Border Agency, which they had shown at a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday as well as a memorandum calling for the release of the five Hindraf members under the Internal Security Act.

However, when they tried to enter the office to hand over the memorandum, they were stopped by the security guards, who told them to wait.

Police arrested them 15 minutes later in front of reporters.

City Chief Police Officer Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Sabtu Osman later confirmed that the group had been arrested for investigations under the Societies Act.

At press time, some of those arrested had been given police bail. Police said the group would be remanded or charged in the magistrate's court here today.