One Killed, 3 Injured After Nepal Police Opens Fire in Bihar’s Sitamarhi

The victim has been identified as Nageshwar Rai (25), a resident of Janan Nagar Tolle Lalbandi.

New Delhi: A civilian was killed and three others were injured after Nepal police fired indiscriminately on Friday in the bordering district of Bihar’s Sitamarhi. If reports are to be believed, firing took place following a clash which broke out between the Indians and Nepal police personnel at the Lalbandi-Janki Nagar border near Sonebarsha police station of the Bihar district.

Bihar: One dead, two injured in firing in Sitamarhi near India-Nepal border, confirms Sashastra Seema Bal IG of Bihar sector. Locals allege it was caused due to firing from Nepal side. pic.twitter.com/zr5YaJN9YE

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2020

The victim has been identified as Nageshwar Rai (25), a resident of Janan Nagar Tolle Lalbandi. As per the local media reports, the man was working on the farm when Nepal police suddenly fired shots.

The place of firing falls under Nepal jurisdiction, Jitendra Kumar, the additional director general of police (headquarters) told a news portal, confirming the casualty.

The firing comes amid ongoing Nepal-India border dispute over Kalapani. Yesterday, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had said that his government will get back Kalapani through diplomatic efforts and dialogue on the basis of historical facts and documents.  “We will get back the land occupied by India through holding a dialogue,” PM Oli said in Parliament.

For over a month now, the bilateral relation between India and Nepal came under strain after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated an 80-km-long strategically crucial road connecting the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand on May 8. Soon after the inauguration of the road project, Nepal reacted sharply claiming that the road passed through Nepalese territory. However, India rejected the claim asserting that the road lies completely within its territory.