New Delhi [India], September 10 (ANI): In a swift action, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) apprehended five prisoners who had escaped from a jail in Nepal and were attempting to cross into India, officials said.

The prisoners were caught along the India-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district while attempting to infiltrate into Indian territory.

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According to officials, the escapees were intercepted by SSB personnel during a check at the border outpost and were immediately taken into custody.

Subsequently, these prisoners were later handed over to the local police for further investigation and legal action.

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Officials said the five were held as they could not show any valid identity proofs to the SSB troops deployed on the border. "During initial inquiry, it was found that they were among those prisoners who escaped from Nepal jail yesterday," the official, requesting anonymity, told ANI.

A large number of inmates escaped the Dillibazar jail in Nepal's Kathmandu amid chaos during the ongoing anti-corruption protests.

The SSB, one of the Central Armed Police Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is tasked with guarding India's 1,751-km-long open border with Nepal and the 699-km stretch along Bhutan, is vigilant since unrest following 'Gen-Z' led protests across Nepal.

Officials said the prisoners were held due to vigilance by SSB troops. However, the Nepalese Army has been deployed in and around the jail to prevent further escalation, as law enforcement struggles to maintain control in the capital.

This comes as the police reportedly withdrew from their post in Nepal, except for the police headquarters. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)