Amid heightened border tensions between the two countries, one person was killed and at least two others were injured in firing by Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) near the Indo-Nepal border adjoining Bihar's Sitamarhi district on Friday, 12 June, ANI reported quoting officials. One person was also detained by the Nepal APF.
SSB DG has termed it a “local issue” and said that the firing took place inside Nepalese territory.
One person Lagan Kishore, who was detained, returned to Sitamarhi on Saturday, 13 June, after being released by them.
Kishore alleged that he was dragged by the Nepal APF from the Indian side and was being forced to confess that he was caught within the Nepal border.
“We ran to return to India when they started firing,but they dragged me from Indian side, hit me with a rifle butt and took me to Nepal’s Sangrampur. They told me to confess that I was brought there from Nepal. I told them you can kill me but I was brought there from India,” he told ANI.
“My son and I was at the border to meet my daughter-in-law (a Nepali national). Security personnel from that side hit my son. They asked me to shut up when I asked why did they do that. They called up ten more security personnel, they came to the border and fired bullets in air,” Kishore futher said.
'Local Issue, Emerged Instantly'
“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. Nepal security personnel fired around 15 rounds, in which three persons were injured and one person died,” DG SSB Kumar Rajesh Chandra told ANI.
Everything happened in Nepal, not on the Indian side, Chandra added.
Conflicting reports about how many people were injured, have also surfaced.
At least 2 injured people were admitted to the hospital. Kin of one injured man, told the reporters that APF fired 17 times, over a dispute. Another local confirmed that one man was taken away by the APF.
After preliminary findings, SSB DG insisted that the issue is local and emerged from a local altercation.
“I would like to reiterate that this is a completely local issue that emerged instantly from an altercation. It wasn’t because of any matter that was brewing for long,” he told ANI.
According to him, a factual report, that has been formed on the basis of preliminary findings, has been submitted to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The government is yet to make a statement on this incident.
'25-30 Indian Nationals Were Trying to Enter': Nepal APF
Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) responded to the incident saying, “A group of 25-30 Indian nationals were trying to enter Nepal and they attacked the Nepalese security personnel at Narayanpur area of Parsa Rural Municipality in Sarlahi district in southern Nepal,” PTI reported.
Narayan Babu Thapa, APF Additional Inspector General of Police, added, "After they were stopped at the border area by forward base of APF who were deployed to enforce lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of people joined the Indian group and threw stones on the security personnel."
According to him, these men snatched weapons from one APF men. "Our personnel had to open fire for self-defence", he added.
Armed Police Force Deployed By Nepal
Earlier on Friday, it was reported by Economic Times, that Nepal has started deploying Armed Police Force for the first time at 15 border outposts along the Indo-Nepal border in Uttarakhand.
This development came after Nepal’s new political map showed Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. The country tabled a Bill in House of Representatives, which seeks amendments in its constitution to adopt a new map.
On 13 May, Nepal had deployed Armed Police Force (APF) near Kalapani at Chhangru, on the Nepalese side of the border. The troop deployment by Nepal was in response to India’s construction of a strategically crucial link road in Uttarakhand, connecting the Lipulekh pass along the border with China.
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