Nepal unrest: 70 jail escapees nabbed along international border; SSB activates helpline

New Delhi, Sep 12 (PTI) A total of 70 people, including a Bangladeshi national and some Indians, who are suspected to have fled from jails in Nepal during the recent anti-government protests have been apprehended along the international border in various states till now, officials said on Friday.

All of these people have been largely caught by the border guarding force SSB and some by police forces of the states which border Nepal.

Individuals caught by the SSB have been handed over to the local police in respective states.

Some of them have been handed over to the Nepalese border force APF too, they said.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has also issued three 24x7 emergency helpline numbers for the help of those Indians who are stranded in Nepal.

The force guards the unfenced 1,751-km-long India-Nepal international border that spans across 20 districts in five states.

Helpline no 1903 is operational in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Uttarakhand apart from two other lines at: 0522-2728816 and 0522-298657, an official said.

They added that the SSB and state police forces have apprehended a total of 70 people till now from the border which includes a Bangladeshi national and some Indians.

These people are stated to have escaped form various jails in Nepal that were attacked by mobs.

Out of these, 38 people have been caught from along the international border in Bihar, 22 from Uttar Pradesh, 8 from Uttarakhand and 2 from West Bengal, the officials said.

The force has "stepped up" vigil in the frontier areas and has enhanced surveillance along the border in the wake of the protests in Nepal.

Nepal's former Chief Justice Sushila Karki will lead an interim government, the Nepalese President's office announced on Friday, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli this week.

These developments came after wide-spread anti-government protests against a ban on social media and alleged corruption.

At least 51 people, including an Indian woman, have died during the violent protests across the neighbouring country. PTI NES ZMN