453 Nepalis Rescued From India, Returned Home

Kathmandu. 453 Nepali citizens have been brought back to Nepal after being held hostage in India under the pretext of providing employment opportunities with false assurances. SSP Prakash Malla, working at the Nepali Embassy, had gone to Kushinagar to rescue those held hostage in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar. The team led by Malla brought the Nepali citizens to Belahiya border crossing on Saturday. Police officials say that those who were subjected to physical and mental torture there were rescued in coordination with the Indian police.

Citizens from 40 districts are among those returning from there. Initially, they are given false assurances of employment opportunities and taken to unauthorized companies in Kushinagar. Upon arrival, the victims are not given the promised work. Instead, the gang extorts money from them in various ways, said Lumbini Province DIG Bhupendra Khatri.

Investigations have revealed that members of the gang took those who went to Uttar Pradesh in the hope of employment to various places under the guise of training. Revive Skill Development & Trading LLP and Wellstar Dynamic Company are linked to this incident. Nepali officials suspect that the involved gang may have a connection with those companies.

A Nepali official involved in the rescue said, 'The names of those companies might have been misused to conduct fraudulent activities.'

453 Nepalis Rescued From India Return Home Via Belahiya Border Crossing

After completing the training, the gang pressures the victims to ask their families for 2 to 3 lakh rupees by showing them the lure of employment. Victims who have returned to Nepal told investigation officers that they were not allowed to use mobile phones freely until money was sent from Nepal.

After collecting the money, instead of providing employment, they are made to sell goods worth lakhs of rupees and are given targets. The investigation has revealed that the members of the gang put pressure on them, stating that after paying the money, they have to bring 10 more people, and their position will increase in return.

DIG Bhupendra Khatri said, 'It seems to be a networking type of business; due to the condition of bringing 10 more people after paying money, many people from the same area have gone there.'

It has been found that many people from districts including Dolpa and Kalikot have gone there. Those who have received training are pressured to bring 10 new people to join, and then they are also held hostage and the same process is repeated. DIG Khatri informed that the police received information from people who had come out after seeing such scenes. He said, 'After that, the rescue process was initiated.' 

According to a victim who returned to Nepal after the rescue, the members of the gang continuously pressure them to ask for money from their families and to call their acquaintances. Many victims hesitate to escape from there because a large sum of money has already been demanded from their families and they have taken their acquaintances there, thinking they might get good jobs in the future.

• 19 Under Investigation

Most of the victims brought to Bhairahawa via the Belahiya border crossing through Sunauli, India, have been sent home by the police after recording their details. However, 19 people who were brought along are under investigation. Rupandehi SP Janak Shahi told Ratopati that 19 people are being questioned on suspicion of 'manipulating' the victims to go to Uttar Pradesh. He said, 'They are like leaders; we are questioning them to see if there is any involvement.'

Those returning include people who reached there a week ago and those who went 3 months ago. The victims have not filed any complaints against any individual. SP Shahi said that if the 19 people in custody are found to be involved, they have been urged to file complaints against them as well. He said, 'So far, the victims have not filed complaints.' More than half of those returning are women.

According to officials involved in the investigation, this incident was taking place in three to four houses near Gandhi Chowk in the market area of Kushinagar.