People in Paklihawa village of Nawalparasi have requested the District Administration Office to provide them security, claiming that they are being threatened by Indian security personnel from across the border after they raised suspicion following the death of a local girl.

Paklihawa residents have suspected the involvement of an Indian border security personnel behind the death of 15-year-old Mangita Kurmi on June 30. She was found dead in a sugar cane field at Aurahawa village in India with bruises in her neck and body.

Mangita’s father, Surendra, said his daughter had gone to graze cattle in the morning and was found dead later that day.

When we went to retrieve her body, Surendra said, the SSB personnel told us to bury her immediately.

In the wake of the incident, Paklihawa villagers had organised a press conference and blamed a constable of the Indian border security force, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), for Mangita’s death.

It was then when the SSB reportedly started issuing threats to the villagers.

Rabindra Kurmi, a local trader, said an SSB team even visited the village recently. He said the entire community is frightened of the SSB after the incident.

Lawmaker Dev Karan Jayasawal said some of the villagers have fled their homes after they were threatened by the SSB. 

Chief District Officer Mahadev Pantha said security in the border area has been heightened at the request of the villagers.

He, however, said that Mangita’s death cannot be investigated because she was found dead in Indian soil.