KATHMANDU, March 10: A team of Indian police reportedly raided a restaurant in the Nagarjun area on the western outskirts of Kathmandu on February 23. Upon receiving information about the raid, the Nepal Police cordoned off all the checkpoints leading in and out of the Kathmandu valley. The police intensified checks on passengers leaving Kathmandu. All police units in Kathmandu were mobilized in the operation and they finally managed to nab the Indian team of police from Punjab, who had ventured into the capital of Nepal in pursuit of fellow Indian criminals.
All seven members of the team, led by Indian police officer Bikramjit Singh, were arrested on the same day for an unauthorized raid at the restaurant.
After the Indian police team conducted the raid without officially informing the officials of Nepal Police, the incident was reported to the Special Bureau which was already searching for the Indian fugitives upon the request from the Indian Police.
However, the team from India attempted to take the fugitives under control without coordination with the Nepal Police.
According to a high-ranking source at Nepal Police, the Indian police team headed by Bikramjit Singh included Surendrajit Singh, Pushpendra Singh, Gagandip Singh, Rabindra Pratap Singh, Birendrajit Singh and Manish Singh. They had arrived in Kathmandu to take back their citizens accused of criminal offense. However, Nepal police took them under custody for a day for interrogation. During interrogation, it was revealed that DSP Nishant Srivastava of Lamjung had helped them.
“They contacted the Lamjung DSP. It was revealed that the DSP helped them,” said a police officer requesting anonymity.
Subsequently, the Police Headquarters transferred five Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) on March 2. Among them was Nishant Srivastava, who was transferred to the Nepal Police Headquarters’ Supervision and Monitoring Division in Naxal.
DSP Resham Bohara took his place in. Srivastava is currently under investigation. Although the Police Headquarters has not disclosed the reason for his sudden transfer, sources at the police say a committee has been formed to investigate Srivastava.
According to the police source, they started the investigation against DSP Srivastava after he assisted the Punjab Police without informing anyone.
The Nepal Police is reluctant to disclose anything about the investigation. The Nepal Police has not even officially admitted about the arrival and arrest of the Indian police team. The investigation against the DSP is said to be an internal matter of the Nepal Police.
“This is an internal matter of the police, not a matter that needs to be publicized,” said Nepal Police spokesperson DIG Dinesh Acharya. DSP Srivastava is an officer with a good track record within the Nepal Police. The reason why he was willing to assist the Indian police without coordination with the higher authorities remains mysterious.
The arrested Indian policemen were handed over to the Indian Embassy the next day, on February 24. The embassy has also reportedly sought an explanation from them for conducting a search without their coordination.
“They did not have any weapons with them,” said a senior Nepal Police official, “They were handed over to the Indian Embassy.”
The Indian police had come to Nepal upon receiving information that an absconding Indian murderer, who killed people in Punjab, was hiding in Nepal. The Indian police had earlier requested the Nepal Police to arrest and send the person accused of murder in Punjab. The Special Bureau had been searching for the person.
Although there is occasional coordination between the Nepal Police and the Indian Police to deal with criminals, raids in each other's countries are quite rare. The Nepal Police team was put on high alert after the Indian Police, instead of returning or informing the Nepal Police after not finding the person they were looking for, continued the search on their own.