Itahari, August 29:

An Indian criminal Bechan Yadav, who is wanted in over seven murder cases in India, has been able to acquire for himself a Nepali citizenship, police said.

Arrested 16 days ago and currently in the Sunsari police office lock up, Yadav has acquired the citizenship certificate in the name of Om Prakash Yadav, who has been shown in the certificate as hailing from Sunsari’s Saterjhoda, police chief in Sunsari Yadav Raj Khanal said.

He, however, said that details of how he got the certificate and who issued the same are yet to be had.

“Yadav himself has admitted that he has acquired a citizenship,” Khanal said.

He added that “different quarters” have been mounting pressure on him to release Yadav. He did not elaborate.

According to Khanal, different groups under Yadav, a native of Bhimnagar in India, were responsible for several cases of abductions and robbery in VDCs of Sunsari, Morang and Saptari on the Nepal-India border.

The number of abduction and robbery cases has gone down after Yadav’s arrest, police said.

Various “political forces” in Nepal are trying to secure Yadav’s release, a source at the police office said.

“The chances of him walking free are very high,” a police official said today.

Indian police in Birpur and Arariya have made several requests to the Nepal police to hand over Yadav to them.

Arariya SP Binod Kumar met Khanal seven times in Sunsari and discussed the matter. “However, the Nepal police says extradition is possible only on the order of the home ministry”, a source at the Arariya police post said. “Yadav is wanted in at least seven murder cases,” the source added.

A police source said some political leaders in Nepal are trying to “use” Yadav during the constituent assembly elections after securing his release.

Citizenship-switch and after

• Bechan Yadav is wanted in India in seven murder cases

• Manages to acquire Nepali citizenship

• Fell in police net 16 days ago

• Sunsari police say ‘different quarters’ mounting pressure on them to release Yadav

• Yadav responsible for several cases of abductions and robbery in Sunsari, Morang, Saptari VDCs

• Source says “political forces” in Nepal trying to secure Yadav’s release

• Says chances of him walking free very high

• Indian cops have requested extradition of Yadav

• Police source says leaders in Nepal trying to “use” Yadav during polls