A local court on Monday handed an eight-year prison term and a fine of Rs 50,000 to a Chinese woman who had been arrested two years ago for allegedly sneaking into India while dressed as a Buddhist monk. The case dates back to December 2, 2023, when personnel of the 42nd Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) intercepted her at the Rupaideha border outpost on the India-Nepal frontier.
Interception at border and suspicious disguise
According to investigators, the woman was attempting to cross into Nepal while wearing monk's robes when she was stopped for verification. Identified as Li Xinmei, also known as Li Shin Mei, the 45-year-old held a passport from the Republic of China, listing her address as Shandong province. Her passport included a Nepal visa valid from November 19, 2023, to February 16, 2024. Officials confirmed that she had entered India without valid documents.
Foreign documents and items seized
Since she did not understand Hindi or English, Li was questioned with the assistance of an interpreter, as per officials. Security personnel recovered several foreign documents, her passport, a Chinese citizenship card, multiple ATM cards, a mobile phone, earphones, a massager, a memory book and a religious text written in Chinese. She was then booked under Section 14A of the Foreigners Act at Rupaideha police station and subsequently arrested. The chargesheet in the case was filed in December 2023.
Court ruling and sentencing
Delivering the verdict, Additional District and Sessions Judge Kavita Nigam found Li guilty of illegally infiltrating India without a valid visa. She was awarded eight years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000. The court also stated that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional six months of imprisonment.
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