Madhesi leader killed, border area tense

Tension gripped the Indo-Nepal border areas following the murder of Madhesia Democratic Front leader Abdul Moid Khan by Maoist activists in Nepal on Sunday.

Tension gripped the Indo-Nepal border areas following the murder of Madhesia Democratic Front leader Abdul Moid Khan by Maoist activists in Nepal on Sunday. The authorities issued an alert in the border area as violence erupted in Nepalese towns of Bhainrawa, Krishna Nagar and Butwal.

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A mob set 48 buses and a dozen motorcycles ablaze near three Customs check posts at Krishna Nagar adjacent to the border. The Nepalese police opened fire on the mob, which indulged in loot and arson. The markets in Barhni town of Siddharth Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh were closed following the violence. Senior officials of the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Provincial Armed Constabulary and the police were camping in the town to monitor the situation.

Sashastra Seema Bal chief public relations officer SR Sahu confirmed to the Hindustan Times that patrolling was intensified after the alert. He said uneasy calm prevailed in towns and villages on the Indian side. Sources said the Indo-Nepal border had been sealed in view of the violence, but SSB officials denied the report. Sahu said so far no untoward incident was reported from the Indian side.

Khan had been moving about without his security men on Sunday when he was killed. Earlier, Royal Army jawans had been deputed for his security, but he preferred to do without them.