453 Nepalis rescued from Kushinagar, brought to Nepal

By Kapil Gyawali, Siddharthanagar, May 31: A total of 453 Nepalis rescued from Kushinagar in India’s Uttar Pradesh have been brought back to Nepal through the Belahiya border point, as further investigation into the case has begun. 

The rescue operation was carried out by a joint team from the Lumbini Province Police and the Rupandehi District Police Office, with the support of Indian police.

According to Rupandehi Police Chief Superintendent of Police (SP) Janak Bahadur Shahi, the rescued individuals were brought to Bhairahawa via Sunauli and the Belahiya border by a Nepal Police team led by SSP Prakash Malla, in coordination with the Indian Embassy.

Police have started screening and investigations from Saturday afternoon to determine how many among the 453 rescued Nepalis are victims and how many may be involved in the alleged operation.

All rescued individuals are currently being kept at the Rupandehi District Police Office. They were transported in eight Indian buses. Police said details of all individuals have been collected and screening has been completed.

SP Shahi said police had received information that at least 1,000 young men and women from Lumbini, Koshi and Sudurpashchim provinces had been taken to Kushinagar and held there.

Initial investigations suggested that some individuals may have been stranded, some reported missing, while others may have been lured to India from Nepal with false promises and held captive. Police said they will be handed over to their families after the required legal and administrative procedures are completed.

“Based on information received, we traced the location where they were allegedly being held captive and rescued them with the help of Indian police. Further investigation is under way,” Shahi said.

Family members of the victims had lodged complaints at the Butwal Area Police Office, claiming that the captives in Kushinagar were being held for ransom. Deputy Superintendent of Police Nishant Srivastava of the Butwal Area Police Office said the investigation began following those complaints. “After four days of continuous efforts, we succeeded in rescuing the victims with the support of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Indian police,” he said.

Police said preliminary findings indicated that people from different districts of Nepal were taken there, charged Indian Rupees 100,000 membership fee per person and pressured to recruit more members. Families of those unable to become members were allegedly threatened for money.

Young men and women reportedly taken there with promises of jobs were allegedly trained by one group, while another group collected membership fees and encouraged further recruitment.