LUCKNOW, India— Indian border security personnel have detained three Sri Lankan nationals from Jaffna and an Indian woman from Tamil Nadu near the Nepal border after they allegedly attempted to enter Nepal through a forested stretch of northern Uttar Pradesh, Indian media reported.
Personnel from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the Indian paramilitary force responsible for guarding the country’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan, intercepted the four late Wednesday near the Rajjanwa border checkpost in Bahraich district.
According to The Times of India, the Sri Lankan nationals were identified as Ajith Kumar, 39, Kaushalya, 38, and Prabhap, 38, all residents of Jaffna. The fourth detainee was identified as Dharm Sudhakar, 35, an Indian woman from Tamil Nadu. Some of the names published by the newspaper may have been incorrectly transcribed or spelled.
The group had reportedly arrived in the border area by auto-rickshaw and was asking for directions to Nepal. Security personnel became suspicious of their movements and alerted the SSB, which intercepted them near the international boundary.
During a preliminary examination of their travel documents, officers found that the Indian visas of the three Sri Lankan nationals had reportedly expired about three months earlier.
It remains unclear when the three entered India, how long they had been staying in the country or why they were attempting to reach Nepal.
The four were subsequently handed over to police at Murtihā police station for further questioning.
Investigators are seeking to establish whether the journey was planned, why the group had chosen a forest route rather than an official border crossing and where they intended to travel in Nepal. Police are also examining the relationship among the four detainees.
Amit Kumar, a local police circle officer, said questioning had been hampered by a language barrier. Authorities were arranging an interpreter to help record the detainees’ statements.
Durga Prasad Tiwari, the additional superintendent of police for rural Bahraich, said the authorities would decide on further action after completing their inquiries and verifying the travel documents.
Indian officials have not disclosed whether the group had previously attempted to cross the border or whether any formal charges have been registered.
It was not immediately clear whether the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi had been notified of the detention.
The three Jaffna residents remain the subject of an immigration inquiry, with Indian authorities yet to establish the circumstances surrounding their attempted journey into Nepal.
