Earlier on Thursday, some eight Indian security officials, including three junior police officers, had entered Kalaiya from the border area of Adapur in India. They came in a jeep through a local sub-customs point.
When the Indian team all of a sudden tried to detain Pappu Sah, also known as Bitu, the locals protested. Pappu, who hails from Sitamadhi in India, has been running a grocery shop in Kalaiya after having reportedly carried out criminal activities in India.
After the locals started to protest the attempt by Indian security personnel to arrest Pappu without citing any reason, he managed to slip away.
"Although Indian police were able to take Pappu under their custody, he had yelled out for help. Hundreds of locals had then converged immediately to help him," said Dipu Gupta, a Kalaiya local.
According to Gupta, Pappu has been operating his grocery in Kalaiya for many years and the locals could not believe his involvement in any crime.
When the locals gathered around the Indian police, the latter showed their IDs. They informed the locals that Pappu was a hired gun.
No sooner did the Indian police seek support from the locals than Nepal police personnel provided security to the former.
However, Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Upreti at Bara District Police Office (DPO) informed that the Indian police had come to meet Nepal police. He acknowledged that locals protested against the Indians after they attempted to make an arrest along the way.
"Had they coordinated with us for arresting their quarry, the locals could not have protested their intervention," SP Upreti told Republica.
Bara DPO was found to be unaware of Pappu's background. It is reported that Pappu was in a "Most Wanted" list for involvement in three murders and the collection of ransom following two cases of abduction.
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