Two persons including US citizen held along Nepal border

The 41 Battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) apprehended two persons, including an American citizen, on the India-Nepal border in Kishanganj district on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. Both were handed over to Khodibari police station in West Bengal after necessary action, Times Of India reported.

A case has been registered against both at Khoribari police station under the Foreigners Act. Both have been sent to jail after being produced in the Siliguri court.The detained American has been identified as Kuikel Lachuman (58) while the other was 32-year-old Sharad Rai, a resident of Darjeeling (West Bengal). Sources said Sharad was helping the American in crossing the border secretly in the night.

According to information received, the security personnel deputed at the Ramdhanjot outpost spotted them near pillar number 93/3 of the India-Nepal border in Kishanganj. “US passport and identity card of Lachuman and a voter ID card and Aadhaar card of Sharad were seized,” sources said.

During interrogation, the American told the security personnel that he had come to India from Nepal on December 10 and after spending 22 days here, he was going back to Nepal illegally. However, the security personnel were still clueless about the reason of their illegal stay in India.