KATHMANDU: The Sashastra Seema Bal of India on Monday night detained over 50 Nepali nationals from Birpur village of Supaul district of India, bordering Sunsari district of Nepal.

The Sunsari District Police Office confirmed the detention.

ASI Kul Bahadur Rai at the DPO said the 19 women and 33 men from Saptari, Udayapur and Dolakha districts were travelling to an Indian city on a hired bus. On suspicion of their involvement in some criminal activities, the Indian border security personnel detained them, he said.

Rai, however, said it was not immediately known exactly why the SSB detained them.

The incident occurred after 10 pm yesterday, he said.

The policeman informed that the Nepali group had left Bhantabari of Sunsari district at around 9:30 pm yesterday.

"A DPO team under the command of DSP Chiranjivi Koirala has been sent to India for further investigation," he added.