On Friday one person was killed and two others injured near the India-Nepal border after security personnel in the neighbouring country fired at them. The national border being rather permeable in the area, people have made a habit of travelling to the other side to move around and meet their family members.
"At around 8:40 am a family was going to Nepal. They were stopped by Nepali security personnel at the border and asked to go back which triggered a verbal altercation," news agency ANI quoted the DG of the Sashastra Seema Bal, Kumar Rajesh Chandra to say.
According to Chandra the incident took place "deep inside Nepalese territory". Officials also confirmed that an Indian national, Laagan Yadav had been taken into custody by the Nepal border police. Chandra added that Indian officials were in talks with their Nepali counterparts to release Yadav and ensure that matters don't escalate.
The incident reportedly took place between the Jankinagar area of Bihar's Sitamarhi district and Sarlahi in Nepal. The area is guarded by the 51st battalion of the SSB and it falls under border pillar number 319.
Reportedly the incident began when Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) objected to the presence of to Yadav's daughter-in-law, who is incidentally from Nepal, in the area after seeing her talking to some people from India. This in turn led to a heated argument following which around 75-80 Indians gathered at the spot.
The police then fired into the air to disperse the crowd. However fearing that their weapons would be snatched, they later fired into the crowd. Three people were injured and one individual has succumbed to his injuries. The injured people have been admitted to a private hospital in Sitamarhi.
Indo-Nepal relations have been somewhat strained in recent times over a border dispute. In recent times a Constitution Amendment Bill has been tabled in Nepal to modify the country's perimeter. The neighbouring country has laid claim to the strategically key areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura -- something that India has criticised as being an unacceptable "artificial enlargement" of territory.
(With inputs from agencies)
