Darchula Police has arrested three men who swam across the Mahakali river at the Nepal-India border on Monday.
"Three men had apparently swam to Nepal. They have been arrested and sent for health check-up," Chief District Officer (CDO) of Darchula Yadu Nath Paudel told Setopati. "We will keep them in quarantine at the district headquarters."
Inspector with Darchula Police Surendra Prasad Joshi said Ramesh Bista of the district, and Indra Singh Khati and Dhan Bahadur Dhami of Baitadi reached Nepal swimming across the Mahakali. "We have yet to know why they crossed the Mahakali despite knowing that the border has been shut down and there is nationwide lockdown," Joshi stated.
He claimed that two of the three were inebriated. "We have yet to decide what action to take. We are discussing on that."
He added it is yet to be clear whether the three are those working across the Indian border in Dharchula or are returnees from Delhi or other places.
The high-level coordination committee to fight coronavirus pandemic headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ishwore Pokharel on Sunday had taken the decision to allow Nepalis stranded at the border points in on the basis of identification documents.
Security persons will take the Nepalis, sent home by the Indian security persons but not allowed to enter Nepal, to their home and they will have to undergo mandatory quarantine in coordination with the local bodies, Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office Narayan Prasad Bidari had told media persons after the committee's meeting.
Darchula CDO Paudel, who had heard about the decision from the media, was waiting for the Home Ministry's instruction on the matter until Monday afternoon and making arrangements to quarantine those who will be allowed in. But the ministry in the afternoon ordered to not open the border.
"They have told from the center to not open. We have been told to make arrangements for them wherever they are," Paudel added. "We have also talked with India. There is, therefore, no chance of opening the border."
