Bettiah: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has lodged an FIR against 150-200 unidentified residents of Nepal’s Susta village for allegedly extending an earthen embankment into Indian territory and pelting stones at an SSB patrol along the India-Nepal border in West Champaran district on Tuesday.SSB officials said on Wednesday that the FIR was registered at Valmikinagar police station on the complaint of Assistant Commandant Avdhesh Kumar, Company Commander of the 21st Battalion, SSB, Rampurva.According to the FIR, the incident occurred on Aug 2 when an SSB patrol led by deputy commandant (operations) Vijay Kumar was conducting routine border surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations. At around 2.15pm, the team reached the Indian side of the border near a tree in the Susta sector and found villagers allegedly extending an earthen embankment towards Indian territory.The complaint stated that during a joint patrol on July 31, officials of Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF), the Bagaha superintendent of police and officers of the 21st Battalion SSB had agreed to maintain the status quo and refrain from embankment construction beyond the mutually agreed alignment. Despite the understanding, the villagers allegedly resumed construction and extended the embankment into Indian territory.The FIR further alleged that while SSB personnel were discussing the issue with APF officials at the site, around 150-200 villagers from Susta gathered carrying sticks and stones. The crowd allegedly abused SSB personnel and turned aggressive. As the patrol withdrew towards its border outpost to avoid escalation, the villagers allegedly resorted to stone-pelting. Police said an investigation is under way.
