Joint security meeting held ahead of Bihar polls

By Nagendra Kumar Karna 

Mahottari, Oct. 20: In view of the upcoming Bihar State Assembly elections scheduled for November 11, a joint meeting between Nepal and India was held to strengthen border security along the Indo-Nepal border point. 

The meeting took place at Bhitha Police Station in the border area of India’s Bihar state and was attended by chiefs of security posts from both sides. The session was chaired by Sunita Kumari, SDPO of Pupari, and focused on enhancing security measures on both sides of the border to ensure a peaceful and fair election in Bihar.

Representing Nepal, Prabhu Raut, Chief of Malibara Police Post, Mahottari, and Bharat Kumar Thakur, Chief of Nainhi Police Post, attended the meeting. From India, attendees included Sumit Kumar and Nishant Kumar, Assistant Commandants of SSB Bhithamo, Circle Inspector Parshuram Singh, Station Chiefs Lal Kishore Gupta (Sursand), Moni Kumari (Choraut), and Harsh Raj (Madhwapur, Madhubani District) and Deputy Station Chief Rajneesh Kumar and Assistant Sub-Inspector Gopal Kumar. Several other security and police officials from both countries were also present.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation, share intelligence, coordinate border security operations, and monitor cross-border criminal activities. To maintain peace during the elections, the forces from both nations will intensify joint patrols and share real-time security information, according to journalist Vikas Singh of Bhithamod, who was present at the meeting.

Indian security officials also urged their Nepali counterparts to increase surveillance to prevent criminal fugitives, drug traffickers, and smugglers of liquor and cannabis from exploiting the open border. It was agreed that if any Nepali nationals are found involved in criminal acts in India, they will be handed over to the Nepali authorities, and vice versa, both sides committed to mutual cooperation in apprehending and extraditing offenders.

In the past, similar meetings of the Nepal–India Border District Coordination Committee have been held during elections and other sensitive periods. Officials said that another coordination meeting will soon be convened in preparation for the Bihar Assembly elections in November.

Out of 15 local levels in Mahottari District, five, Matihani Municipality, Jaleshwar Municipality, Manara Siswa Municipality, Samsi Rural Municipality, and Sonma Rural Municipality share a border with India, covering a total stretch of 38.4 kilometres.