A civilian was killed and two injured on Friday after Nepal border police troops fired at them "deep inside Nepalese territory" adjoining Bihar's Sitamarhi district, officials said.
An Indian national, 45-year-old Laagan Yadav, has been taken into custody by the Nepal border police, they said.
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Director General (DG) Kumar Rajesh Chandra said the incident took place around 8:40 am "deep inside Nepalese territory". The situation is normal now and "our local commanders immediately got in touch with our Nepalese counterparts APF", he added.
Chandra said the family from Jankinagar village in Samastipur were inside Nepalese territory as one of the daughters-in-law is a Nepali citizen and the family had gone to fetch her back. The Nepal APF asked them to leave the territory citing lockdown till June 14 following which an altercation happened and the APF fired 15 rounds, killing one.
"SSB 51st Bn Commandant has already spoken with SP Sarlahi (Nepal) and apprised SP Sitamarhi about this incident," news agency ANI quoted Chandra as saying. "SP Sarlahi is in touch with SP Sitamarhi. They will be instituting a case and it is a matter of investigation."
Chandra said this was is a "local issue" that "emerged from a local altercation that was not brewing for long and instantly emerged", adding a factual report formed on the basis of preliminary findings has been submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Inspector General (IG) of the SSB's Patna Frontier, Sanjay Kumar, said the incident took place between locals and the Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal. One person was killed and two others were injured in the firing, he added.
Vikesh Yadav (22), who suffered a bullet injury in the abdomen area, has succumbed, while Uday Thakur (24) and Umesh Ram (18) are injured and admitted to a private hospital in Sitamarhi, which is around 85 km from Bihar capital Patna, said officials.
According to preliminary reports obtained from locals, Chandra said the confrontation began when APF personnel objected to the presence of Yadav and other villagers in the area and asked them to retreat. There are relations between locals on either side of this border. As the front is not fenced, people move around to meet their family members, another SSB official said.
The objection of the APF personnel led to a heated argument and some more villagers joined Yadav from the Indian side, said Chandra.
The APF claimed that they first fired in the air to disperse the crowd and fearing snatching of their weapons, they fired at the crowd in which three people got hit, officials said. The force said they fired 15 rounds, out of which 10 round, were pumped in the air, they said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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