Two foreigners detained as India-Nepal boost border security

Amid the ongoing investigation into the deadly blast in New Delhi, Indian security forces along the Nepal border have arrested two British nationals attempting to enter India illegally without valid visas and credible documents. The arrests took place during heightened security checks at the Rupaidiha border in Uttar Pradesh, following a car explosion in the Indian capital earlier this month that killed at least 15 people.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) detained the two individuals on November 15.

They have been identified as Dr Hassan Amman Saleem, age 35, son of Mohammad Saleem of Pakistani origin. His current address is listed as Manchester, United Kingdom. The woman was identified as Dr Sumitra Shakeel Olivia, age 61, daughter of John Frederick, originally from Udupi, Karnataka. She is a British passport holder with her present address in Gloucester, United Kingdom. They were unable to satisfactorily explain their attempt to enter India without valid travel documents.

Sources indicate that Indian investigators suspect a possible link between the two and the Delhi blast module, as they arrived in Nepal just one day before the explosion. They had entered Nepal after being invited by a local hospital in the rural area of Nepalgunj. Nepal Police officers told WION that both foreign nationals had valid documents to enter Nepal.

"In this regard, Case No. 334/2025 under Section 14A of the Foreigners Act has been registered at Rupaidiha Police Station, District Bahraich. The accused have been sent to the Hon’ble Court, Sadar Bahraich, for necessary legal proceedings,” local police said in a statement.

SSB officials said that all Nepali and Indian citizens crossing through the Jamunaha border are questioned and allowed to proceed only after verifying their identity cards.

Commandant of the 42nd Battalion of the SSB, Ganga Singh Udawat, stated that vehicles moving through the border are strictly monitored and cleared only after inspection by trained dogs.

He added that since the Nepalgunj border is considered highly sensitive, security checks have been intensified. Police and SSB teams are continuously patrolling the rural areas along the border. SSB personnel, in coordination with Nepal’s Armed Police Force, are carrying out regular patrols to maintain heightened vigilance along the border.