India raises killing of Bihar's Sitamarhi resident with Nepal

PTI photo

New Delhi: India has strongly raised the killing of its national at the diplomatic level with Nepal. The matter was raised with the Nepali mission in Delhi and by the Indian mission in Kathmandu with the Nepali Home Ministry. 

Vinesh Kumar, a 22-year-old Indian farmer from Bihar's Sitamarhi was killed and two others were injured in indiscriminate firing by the Nepal police at the India-Nepal border on June 12. The incident happened when Nepalese Armed Police Force (NAPF) opened fire during an altercation killing one Bikesh Kumar Rai and injuring 3 others Indian nationals. One Indian was also taken into custody by the Nepali forces.

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that patrols India-Nepal border said that firing by Nepali forces started over "instantly generated local issue" on the Nepali side. SSB DG Kumar Rajesh Chandra said, "This is a completely local issue that emerged from a local altercation"

The incident happened after locals and Nepal Armed Police had an altercation. Locals and the Nepali forces had an altercation when the former was asked to go back as the lockdown was in force in the country. During the ensuing issue, the Nepal APF said that they first fired in the air to disperse the crowd and fearing snatching of their weapons, they later initiated aimed firing in which three people got hit. According to local eye-witness, the Nepal APF had fired at least 10-15 rounds of bullets.

The incident comes amidst heightened tension between India and Nepal after Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli-led government issued a new map showing parts of Indian territories as its own. The Indian side has rejected the new Nepal map saying it has no historical evidence. India, on the other hand, termed the territorial claims by Nepal as artificial enlargement.

The ties between the two countries 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.

Nepal protested the inauguration of the road claiming that it passed through its territory. Days later, Nepal came out with the new map showing Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura as its territories. After Nepal released the map, India reacted sharply, calling it an 'unilateral act' and cautioning Kathmandu that such 'artificial enlargement' of territorial claims will not be acceptable to it.