Post-Delhi Blast, Bihar Locks Down Nepal Border For 72 Hours During Polls

Following the blast in New Delhi and ongoing polling in Bihar, the state has sealed its nearly 700-km border with Nepal for 72 hours as a security precaution, Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar said on Tuesday.

“The police are on high alert after the incident in Delhi. To ensure that no such incident takes place in Bihar during polling, the international border with Nepal has been sealed for the past 72 hours,” DGP Kumar told ANI.

Seven districts West Champaran, East Champaran, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj and Sitamarhi fall along the Nepal border. All of them are voting in the second phase of the assembly elections, which began at 7 am today.

Nepal shares an international border with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, sharing a total border of over 1,300 kilometre. The India-Nepal border is overseen by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

The DGP said that joint patrolling by state police forces is being done along the interstate borders.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired a high-level security review meeting at his residence to assess the situation following the deadly blast in Delhi that killed eight people and injured several others on Monday evening.

The meeting was attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sadanand Vasant Date, and Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat joined the meeting virtually.

A team from the FSL and the NIA revisited the blast site on Tuesday morning to collect additional forensic evidence. The NIA is currently assisting the Delhi Police in the investigation. Officials suspect the Delhi blast and the Faridabad recovery may be part of a larger terror network operating across state lines.

The first phase of polling in Bihar concluded recently, with elections for 122 seats scheduled on November 11 for the second phase. The results of the Bihar Assembly elections will be announced on November 14.

(With ANI Inputs)

ALSO READ: Sole Breadwinner For Family Dies In Delhi Car Blast, Bus Conductor Among 12 Victims