11 from UP detained in Nepal, families seeks MEA help

Families of eleven Indian nationals, who are in custody of the Nepal police for last eight days, have sought the help of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) for their safe release and return to India.

The detainees, who are from Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Sonbhadra, are associated with a private real estate and investment firm based in Lucknow and Allahabad.

They were arrested on May 10 from a hotel in Kathmandu allegedly over a property fraud case lodged against their Nepal-based associate.

“We have written a detailed e-mail to the ministry and also tweeted to union minister Sushma Swaraj today. We are seeking the ministry’s intervention in getting our people back,” said Devendra Singh, brother of one of the detainees Gajendra Singh.

Others who are in Nepal police custody have been identified as AK Singh, Kashif Shakeel, Mohammad Sharzil, Ramesh Ram, Sunil Upadhyay, Niraj Kumar Mishra, Ashok Kumar, Ayush Upadhyay, Girish Upadhyay and the business group’s owner Rashid Nasim.

The family members will visit the external affairs ministry in New Delhi on Monday to apprise the officials about the case.

“They were in Nepal to attend a three-day business workshop but were arrested by Nepal police on the basis of complaint lodged against one Nepal citizen Mahendra Singh, who was also there for the workshop,” said Devendra.

Devendra claimed he had approached the local court over the alleged illegal detention of Indian citizens on the basis of complaints lodged against a Nepali national.

“The local court has pulled up Nepal police after the complainants submitted affidavits that Indian citizens had nothing to do with the case and only Mahendra Singh should be held accountable,” claimed Devendra.

He said the local court has given five-day time period to release Indian citizens or produce evidence of their involvement in any violation of law in Nepal.

“The time period will end on Tuesday but we are still concerned about the security of our people following which we have approached the ministry of external affairs,” he added.

Asif Nasim, brother of Rashid Nasim, said he had written an e-mail to the ministry to apprise them of the entire situation and sought their immediate intervention.

He along with the family members of other detainees will meet the ministry officials on Monday.

When contacted over phone, Kathmandu police chief Uttam Subedi said he was not aware of the case but the police will follow the directives of the local court.