Two British volunteer doctors have been arrested after they allegedly crossed the border from Nepal into India without visas.
Shakil Sumithra, 61, and Hassan Saleem, 35, had been volunteering with the Surrey-based charity Britain Nepal Otology Service (Brinos), when they were taken into custody.
One of the audiologists had reportedly wanted to ‘put a foot in India’ during a brief visit to the Rupaidiha border.
Nepalese authorities warned them not to try and enter the country but Sumithra, who is of Indian heritage and still has family in the country, defied the advice.
Neir Weil, founder of Brinos, said that Sumithra and Saleem had made the short journey to the border during their free time.
They did not mention to fellow volunteers that they intended to cross the border, he said.
‘They initially intended to look at the border from the Nepalese side. It was pure curiosity because they were so close to the border,’ he told The Times.
Shakil Sumithra and Hassan Saleem were volunteering with the Britain Nepal Otology Service when they were arrested
The audiologists had travelled to Nepal and attempted to cross the border into India without visas
The crossing caused alarm as Saleem is of Pakistani heritage, which alerted security officials due to long standing disputes between the two countries.
Last week Saleen shared a post on Linkedin celebrating his time working in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu with Brinos.
He said the experience had been ‘eye-opening’ and added that he was ‘looking forward to the second part’ of their trip.
He wrote: ‘We often find ourselves complaining about the pressures on the health system in the UK — but witnessing the situation here really puts things into perspective.
‘In Kathmandu, around 300 patients are waiting in a single day to see an ENT doctor. Audiologists are seeing 70–80 patients a day. It’s difficult to even imagine managing that kind of workload back home.
‘Despite the challenges, the dedication and commitment of the local teams are truly inspiring.’
Ganga Singh Udawat, the commandant of the police force that guards India’s borders with Nepal, told the Press Trust of India that Saleem and Sumithra did not have valid Indian visas.
‘They failed to provide any satisfactory reason for their entry into India,’ he said.
Hassan Saleem is of Pakistani heritage, which raised the alarm for security officials at the border
He added that the pair were taken to the Rupaidiha police for ‘further action’.
They have both been charged under the Indian Passport Act and are set to appear in an Indian court at a later date
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ‘We are supporting two British nationals detained in India and are in contact with the local authorities.’
Border security in India was tightened after a car explosion killed 10 people just last week.
Ambulances streamed into a nearby public hospital, carrying several injured people. Local media reported at least 13 people were killed and 24 were injured in the explosion, though this number has not been confirmed by officials.
Footage showed damaged vehicles and a police cordon at the site. At least six vehicles and three rickshaws caught fire during the explosion.
This led to the Foreign Office warning against travelling to parts of India.
