Indian border guards capture 60 inmates from Nepal jailbreaks

The SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal), which secures the India–Nepal border, has apprehended approximately 60 individuals from various locations along the international boundary. Officials stated that most of those caught are suspected to be Nepalese citizens who may have escaped during the recent unrest and jailbreaks in Nepal.

Over 15,000 prisoners are reported to have escaped from more than two dozen jails in the neighbouring nation since the unrest began.

During the past two days (9–10 September), SSB personnel captured the inmates from border areas in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The detainees have been handed over to local state police forces for further questioning, the officials added.

Two or three of the individuals in custody have claimed to be of Indian origin, and investigations are underway to verify these assertions, officials said.

The SSB, which operates under the ministry of home affairs, is responsible for guarding the 1,751 km unfenced border India shares with Nepal on the north. The force has stationed approximately 50 battalions, equating to around 60,000 personnel, in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Sikkim, which share the border with Nepal, and increased vigilance in the frontier states.

"The SSB is coordinating with its Nepalese counterpart, the Armed Police Force (APF), and has conducted joint patrols. Additionally, independent flag marches have been carried out in the border areas to signal that India is prepared to manage any challenges arising from recent events in Nepal," a senior SSB official stated.

He further emphasised that Nepal has been assured of full cooperation, and genuine nationals from both countries, carrying valid identification, are being permitted to cross the border.

Meanwhile, in Nepal, violent protests have resulted in the deaths of three inmates at a jail during clashes with security forces on Thursday. With these latest fatalities, the number of deaths in jail-related clashes has risen to eight since the violence first erupted on 9 September, Tuesday.

The ongoing protests led to the resignation of Nepalese prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli on 9 September. Subsequently, the Nepal Army imposed restrictions in several provinces due to escalating law and order concerns.

Nepal has also been experiencing widespread social unrest.

Longstanding ethnic and regional divides, especially between the Madhesi and Tamang communities, have led to increasing calls for autonomy and greater political representation as well as the youth’s anger over corruption, especially by way of nepotism.

The ethnic tensions, compounded by the economic inequality and socio-economic issues, have fuelled protests across the country, particularly in the Kathmandu Valley. In recent months, mass protests over unemployment, poor infrastructure and rising inflation had intensified.

Despite these issues, the government struggled to implement reforms, with critics pointing to widespread corruption and inefficiency in dealing with both domestic issues and international concerns.

And thus, the powder keg finally exploded...