Two men including a US national arrested at India-Nepal border, one wanted in Punjab case

NEW DELHI: Two men, including a member of the pro-Khalistan group Waris Punjab De and a United States national, were arrested while allegedly attempting to enter India from Nepal through the Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, police said on Thursday.

The operation was conducted jointly by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Uttar Pradesh Police at the Rupaidiha border crossing. The two individuals were identified as Vikramjit Singh, who is wanted in connection with a 2023 case registered at Ajnala police station in Punjab, and Manveer Singh Dhillon, a US national originally from Punjab's Moga district.

According to Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vishwajeet Srivastava, Vikramjit Singh had been absconding in the Punjab case. Dhillon is suspected to have entered Nepal before attempting to cross into India without a valid Indian visa, likely to avoid detection by law enforcement agencies. The duo was intercepted after crossing the Rupaidiha border post, where verification and questioning revealed their identities and links to Waris Punjab De.

Police have registered a case against both men under relevant provisions at the Rupaidiha police station. Officials from multiple security and intelligence agencies also questioned the accused following their detention.

Three Indian nationals were also arrested for allegedly facilitating the pair's illegal entry into India. They were identified as Suresh Kumar Pathak and Dilip Upadhyay, both residents of Rupaidiha town, and Rahul Kumar, who was allegedly driving the vehicle arranged for the two men.

The arrests come just weeks after another US national, Jordan Brown, was detained near the India-Nepal border in Maharajganj while allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal without valid travel documents.