KATHMANDU: Three Indian policemen were arrested in eastern Nepal on Wednesday for carrying arms illegally and trying to unlawfully drag a Nepali back to India over a love affair in Delhi.
Sub-inspector Om Singh, constables Rajbir Singh and Santosh were arrested in Karsiya village in Morang district near the Indian border for trying to unlawfully arrest a Nepali, Santosh Malakar, over a complaint lodged by a family in East Delhi.
Malakar had been working as a domestic help in Kalyanpur area in New Delhi, Morang-based journalist Bhim Ghimire reported on private television channel Kantipur.
He left the family about three months ago and eloped with their daughter, Puja Gupta. They were married in a court in Birpur in Bihar, where documents said the bride was 20 and the groom 22.
However, Puja's family filed a complaint at the Kalyanpur police station, alleging she was a minor and Malakar had abducted her.
Puja's brother Swatantra Gupta as well as brother-in-law Santosh Gupta also accompanied the three cops.
The cops were arrested by the Morang police for carrying illegal firearms as well as trying to abduct a Nepali citizen.
According to international law, Indian policemen have to surrender or declare their arms before entering Nepal, a sovereign country. Also, if a Nepali citizen faces charges in India, he can be arrested from Nepal only after informing the Nepali authorities.
Om Singh was carrying his service pistol as well as several rounds of bullets, Ghimire said.
This is not the first time that Indian cops have muscled into Nepal.
This week alone, three policemen from Gujarat were arrested for entering Nepal with arms. They said they were pilgrims and thought of visiting Nepal after having come near the international border.
In the past, there have been cases of Indian police coming to Kathmandu without the knowledge of Nepal police and "arresting" and taking away by force people they described as militants.
The latest arrests are going to add to the anti-Indian sentiment along the India-Nepal border where, according to frequent reports in the local media, Indian border security forces enter Nepali territory and misbehave with the residents.
