Sarlahi farmers jailed in Bihar over fertiliser transport granted bail
Summary
Two farmers from Sarlahi have been granted bail by a district court in Sitamarhi, Bihar, after spending more than a month in jail on charges of fertiliser smuggling. The case has drawn attention to Nepal’s fertiliser shortages during the paddy planting season and the difficulties faced by border communities.
Key Points
- A district court in Sitamarhi, Bihar, granted bail to two brothers from Sarlahi who were jailed on fertiliser smuggling charges.
- The men were arrested by India’s Sashastra Seema Bal and Agriculture Department while returning with urea and DAP fertiliser, which they said was for their own farm.
- Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Minister Shishir Khanal initiated diplomatic coordination through the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi after the arrest.
- The brothers will still have to appear before the Dumra court monthly while the case continues.
