'We can see criminals across the border, but cannot arrest them': DSP highlights concerns around crimes along Nepal border

Several recent ground reports by OpIndia have shown that demography is changing rapidly along India’s border with Nepal. The number of mosques and madarsas is rapidly increasing in the area. From August 20 to 27, 2022, an OpIndia team visited several areas in Nepal bordering India to observe the ground situation. What follows here is the nineteenth report of the series of reports documenting the facts noticed by the OpIndia team.

In prior reports, we discussed what locals think about the mosques, Islamic shrines and places of worship spread along the highways leading from Balrampur to Barhni and Jarwa along the open international border running between India and Nepal. We also reported how the authorities have sprung into action after the exclusive reportage by OpIndia along the UP-Nepal border.

In this report, we attempted to contact Uttar Pradesh Police personnel stationed on the borders of India and Nepal in order to learn more about the hurdles and challenges they continue to face. Sunil Dutt Dubey, formerly the DSP Nichlaul of Maharajganj district (currently Circle Officer, Police Lines), was interviewed in this segment. He outlined in detail the difficulties encountered by the police personnel stationed along the Nepal border.

When we spoke with Sunil Dutt, a former DSP who was stationed on the Nepal border, he told us that the biggest issue is the porosity of the borders. He stated that the police and paramilitary SSB patrol regularly, but that anti-social elements or smugglers often infiltrate from one country to another by casually walking through the village roads. Sunil Dutt told us that the limited number of personnel deployed makes it difficult to keep a watch on the border areas.

‘Pagdandi Abhiyan’

DSP Sunil Dutt informed us that the Maharajganj district shares a 65-kilometre border with Nepal. According to him, in addition to border security, the police are responsible for maintaining law and order as well as keeping an eye on the border. According to Sunil Dutt, in order to prevent the infiltration of any anti-social element into India from the Nepal border, he launched the ‘Pagdandi (path/track) Abhiyan,’ under which small rural roads were monitored in addition to highways and main roadways.

The DSP stated that the initiative had significantly reduced illegal movement along the border area.

No discernible pattern followed during cross-border smuggling

Sunil Dutt Dubey denied that there was a precise pattern followed for cross-border smuggling at the Indo-Nepal border. He stated that whatever becomes pricey in border countries on one side is smuggled across the border and sold on the other side. This smuggling includes anything from sugar to urea fertiliser, according to DSP Sunil Dutt. He claimed that smugglers do not even need automobiles to transport these items across the border. In fact, the miscreants transport smuggled goods from a diverse range of locations by bike, foot and cycle, said Dubey.

He added that transport of some items like sugar only comes under customs duty evasion.

The absence of an extradition treaty

According to DSP Sunil Dutt, the police department has to face numerous challenges due to the lack of an extradition pact between India and Nepal. Using his own Nichlaul circle region as an example, he stated that the criminals involved in vehicle theft are originating from Nepal. Despite knowing their whereabouts, the Indian police force is unable to apprehend them since they can neither enter Nepal in uniform nor with their weapons.

“Even if our most dangerous and wanted criminal stands on the other side of the border and challenges us,” Dutt added, “we will have to work exceedingly hard to apprehend him.” He went on to describe the extensive procedures that police must follow before a criminal can be extradited from the border country.

He stated that, in accordance with international law, they must first obtain Interpol warrants and other legal documents from a court before pressing the Nepalese government to act. He added that bringing criminals back from Nepal is just as difficult as bringing criminals back from Pakistan or Arab countries.

Nepal police and administration is not very helpful

Sunil Dutt, the DSP stationed on the Nichlaul border at the time, informed us that a huge number of offenders had entered India after committing crimes in Nepal and vice versa. He also added that Indian police are tough on offenders who infiltrate from Nepal and act quickly when asked for assistance from across the border. In contrast, Dutt said that the Nepal administration’s responsiveness and cooperation in apprehending offenders who have fled to Nepal from India are inadequate.

The Nepal Police’s SAF battalion, according to Sunil Dutt, is the only force that is armed, whereas the rest of the force operates with sticks and khukris.

Human trafficking

Sunil Dutt, also spoke about the police’s efforts to combat human trafficking along the open international Nepal border, which has been known as one of the busiest human trafficking gateways in the world. He stated that the majority of the victims of human trafficking are Nepali females. According to him, once these females cross the border they are sold off and forced to either marry or work as sex workers at places such as cabin/dance restaurants and massage parlours.

Lack of CCTV etc. on the border

While making a demand and offering a suggestion, DSP Sunil emphasised the significance of equipping border police stations with surveillance devices and covering border areas with CCTV. He feels that organising a joint patrol of border protection troops from both countries will result in better results.

Many people exploiting their Nepal-India dual citizenship

DSP Sunil Dutt Dubey also informed that though the Constitution of India and Nepal does not allow dual citizenship, that is, holding the citizenship of both countries simultaneously, there are many individuals who vote in both India and Nepal. As a result of this irregularity, he claimed, the administration is having problems determining the citizenship of such people and they often take advantage of the situation.

A creeping Islamisation of Nepal and its border areas appears to be underway, with Islamists steadily establishing their foothold in distant villages, including those on the Indian border. In the first four parts of this series, OpIndia documented the demography change ongoing in Nepal, as well as the worrying surge in the number of mosques and madrasas in the Himalayan nation’s border villages. Additionally, we also spoke about the rising incidents of love jihad in Nepal, as well as its Delhi connection and smuggling, and various other notorious activities that are going on along India’s border with Nepal.

The first report in this series can be read here in Hindi: कभी था हिंदू बहुल गाँव, अब स्वस्तिक चिह्न वाले घर पर 786 का निशान: भारत के उस पार भी डेमोग्राफी चेंज, नेपाल में घुसते ही मस्जिद, मदरसा और इस्लाम – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Demographic change hits other side of the border too, Mosques and Madarasas mushroom in former Hindu dominated areas in Nepal: Ground report

The second report in this series can be read here in Hindi: घरों पर चाँद-तारे वाले हरे झंडे, मस्जिद-मदरसे, कारोबार में भी दखल: मुस्लिम आबादी बढ़ने के साथ ही नेपाल में कपिलवस्तु के ‘कृष्णा नगर’ पर गाढ़ा हुआ इस्लामी रंग – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Islamic flags flying atop houses and mosques, madarsas influencing businesses: The creeping Islamisation of Nepal’s Krishnanagar

The third report in this series can be read here in Hindi: नेपाल में लव जिहाद: बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी और नेपाली लड़कियों से निकाह के खेल में ‘दिल्ली कनेक्शन’, तस्कर-गिरोह भारतीय सीमा पर खतरा – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Rising cases of love jihad in Nepal and its Delhi connection, smuggling plaguing India’s border with Nepal: Ground report

The fourth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: बौद्ध आस्था के केंद्र हों या तालाब… हर जगह मजार: श्रावस्ती में घरों की छत पर लहरा रहे इस्लामी झंडे, OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Steady rise in mazars and madarsas adjoining Buddhist places of worship in UP’s Shravasti near Indo-Nepal border: Ground report

The fifth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: महाराणा प्रताप के साथ लड़ी थारू जनजाति बहुल गाँव में 3 मस्जिद, 1 मदरसा: भारत-नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी का ये है ‘पैटर्न’ – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Rising number of mosques, madarsa along Indo-Nepal border: Ground report on Islamisation of village of Tharu tribe that fought along Maharana Pratap

The sixth report in this series can be read here in Hindi: बौद्ध-जैन मंदिरों के बीच दरगाह बनाई, जिस मजार को पुलिस ने किया ध्वस्त… वो फिर चकमकाई: नेपाल सीमा पर बढ़ती मुस्लिम आबादी – OpIndia Ground Report

The same report can be read here in English: Dargah and mazar built around Buddhist and Jain temple premises, illegal mazar once demolished surfaces again: UP’s Shravasti near Nepal border