Daijiworld Media Network - Bahraich

Bahraich, Apr 7: British nationals to six months’ imprisonment for illegally entering India from Nepal, officials said on Tuesday.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Pratibha Chowdhry on April 6 also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each of the convicts. In case of default in payment, they will have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment.

The court, however, granted them bail after pronouncement of the sentence on the condition that they will not leave the country during the appeal period.

According to prosecution officer Nirmal Yadav, the two — Hassan Amman Saleem (35) and Sumitra Shakeel Olivia (61) — were arrested in November last year from the Indo-Nepal border at Rupaideha for entering India without valid documents.

Saleem, originally from Gujranwala in Pakistan, is a resident of Manchester, United Kingdom, and works as a lecturer in audiology at De Montfort University. Olivia, originally from Udupi in Karnataka, later acquired British citizenship and resides in Gloucester, UK. She holds a British passport along with an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.

The officer said the duo had travelled from the UK to Nepal in November 2025 to participate in a charity programme for hearing-impaired children at a medical college in Nepalgunj, holding valid Nepal visas.

On November 15, 2025, personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Uttar Pradesh Police intercepted them during a joint checking drive at the international border while attempting to enter India.

They were found without valid entry documents and were arrested under provisions of the Immigration and Foreigners Act. After spending time in jail, they were granted bail with the condition of remaining in the country and had been attending court hearings regularly while staying in Bahraich.

Based on the evidence, the court found both accused guilty and observed that punishment in such cases is necessary to ensure compliance with the law, the prosecution officer added.