Pakistani mother-son held while 'illegally' entering India from Nepal border

A Pakistani woman and her minor son were arrested while entering India illegally at the Indo-Nepal international borders at Panitanki crossing in West Bengal's Darjeeling district.

The 41st battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) arrested Sayesta Hanif and her son Ariyan Mohammad Hanif on Wednesday night.

As per protocol, the duo has been handed over to the cops of the local Kharibari Police Station.

They will be presented at a district court in Darjeeling on Thursday.

On interrogation, they admitted to have entered India without valid visa and related documents through the Panitanki border by a bus which they boarded from Kakarbhitta in Jhapa district of Nepal.

It is learnt that feeling suspicious about the woman's body-language, the SSB jawans apprehended and questioned her.

Later, the central forces jawans saw her valid Pakistani passports of the mother and the son but without the official visa seal for coming to India. They were taken to custody thereafter.

As per their passports, both the arrested are residents of Karachi in Pakistan.

However, they had valid tourist visas to Nepal produced by the Nepal government on November 5, said a local police official investigating the matter.

Among other things recovered from the woman are two mobile phones, two sim cards, Nepalese rupee worth 10,000, Rs 16,500 in Indian currently six euros and 166 rials.

In face of interrogation, the woman said that she entered India to meet her sister who is currently residing at North 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

The police have started investigating the matter and also cross checking her statements.