SSB suspends 2 personnel for searching Seema Haider’s bus at India-Nepal border.

SSB Suspends Inspector and Jawan for Alleged Negligence in Checking Bus Carrying Pakistani National

New Delhi: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards the India-Nepal border, has suspended an inspector and a jawan for alleged dereliction of duty in checking a bus in which Pakistani national Seema Haider entered the country and reached Greater Noida near Delhi. Inspector Sujit Kumar Verma and Head constable Chandra Kamal Kalita of the 43rd Battalion of the SSB were responsible for checking the passenger vehicle on May 13 in the border district of Siddharth Nagar in Uttar Pradesh as it crossed over to India from Nepal. Haider was on board this bus along with her four children.

Full Inquiry Initiated

The SSB has suspended Inspector Verma and Jawan Kalita pending a full inquiry into the incident. A full court of inquiry procedure will be conducted, and all aspects of the incident that were not covered during the preliminary investigation will be probed. The role of other personnel on duty that day will also be examined. The force had initiated a basic probe after reports of Haider being arrested in Greater Noida surfaced.

Difficulties in Border Security

The SSB, a paramilitary force under the Union home ministry, is responsible for guarding the open 1,751-km-long India-Nepal international front. Checking and frisking the credentials of each individual crossing over to India from Nepal is considered “humanly impossible” due to the open border and the similarity in physical features and mannerisms of the nationals of the two countries. While nationals from a third country are not allowed to cross the border without a valid visa and travel documents, it becomes challenging to ascertain the identity of people from neighboring countries.

Background of Seema Haider

Seema Haider, a 30-year-old Pakistani national from the Sindh province, entered India illegally without a visa via Nepal with her four children. She came to live with her Indian lover, Sachin Meena, in the Rabupura area of Greater Noida. Both Haider and Meena were arrested on July 4, but they were granted bail by a local court on July 7. They have been living together with Haider’s four children in a house in Rabupura. Haider has expressed her desire to stay in India and has also claimed to have adopted Hinduism. The couple first got in touch in 2019 through the online game PUBG.