Indian court sentences two British nationals to six months in jail for illegally crossing Indo-Nepal border
Islamabad:An Indian court has sentenced two British nationals to six months in jail for illegally crossing the Indo-Nepal border at Rupaidiha.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Hassan Amman Saleem (35, Pakistani-origin) and Sumitra Shakeel Olivia (61, Indian-origin from Karnataka) entered India from Nepal.
Both individuals had travelled from the United Kingdom to Nepal in November 2025 to participate in a charity programme for hearing-impaired children at a medical college in Nepalgunj.
On 15 November 2025, personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal and Uttar Pradesh Police intercepted them during a joint checking drive at the international border as they attempted to enter India.
After spending some time in jail, the court granted them bail after pronouncing the sentence on the condition that they will not leave the country during the appeal period.
A fine of INR 50,000 was also imposed; in case of default, they will have to undergo an additional three months imprisonment.
Since then, they had been attending court hearings regularly and staying mostly in hotels in Bahraich during the trial.
It’s not an isolated case/incident as previously a French filmmaker and author faced the same cruel treatment in India.
French filmmaker and author Valentin Hénault arrived in India on 10 August 2023 on a business visa to shoot a documentary on caste realities. He attended a peaceful Dalit rights march/protest.
Arrested for alleged “violation of visa conditions” (under the Foreigners Act). Spent about a month in Gorakhpur prison (described as harsh conditions in his later memoir J’avais un rêve indien: Dans l’enfer de la prison de Gorakhpur).
He was unable to leave India easily even after bail in some reports.
The case drew attention to the treatment of foreigners involved in social issues highlighting in India.
