New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): The Nepal Embassy in New Delhi on Sunday expressed appreciation for the swift response from the Office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after a Nepali citizen was stopped at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) while in transit and sent back to Kathmandu, clarifying that the incident was due to airline policy and not Indian immigration.

In a post on X, the embassy said it would engage with relevant authorities, including airlines, to prevent such issues in the future.

'The Nepal Embassy in India has noted the incident where a Nepali citizen was stopped at Delhi Airport while in transit and sent back to Kathmandu. We appreciate the swift response by Office of the Home Minister of India and will engage with concerned authorities, including airlines, to prevent such issues in future,' the Embassy said on X.

The incident involved Shambhavi Adhikari, a Nepali national travelling to Berlin, who was reportedly stopped while boarding a connecting Qatar Airways flight in Delhi.

Indian authorities clarified that the decision to prevent her onwards travel was made solely by the airline, based on visa validity and travel documentation requirements, and that Indian immigration had no role in the matter, as per a release by the MHA.

It stated that the episode was 'wrongly portrayed as bias or discrimination against Nepali citizens.'

The passenger later rescheduled her travel and successfully continued her journey from Kathmandu via another route.

'It has been reported that Ms Shambhavi Adhikari, a citizen of Nepal heading to Berlin, was stopped at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and was sent back to Kathmandu. The incident has been wrongly portrayed as bias/discrimination against Nepali citizens,' a release from the MHA stated.

'It is to clarify that the Indian immigration authorities have no role to play in this entire episode. The said passenger arrived from Kathmandu by Air India and was transiting through Delhi. She was stopped while boarding the connecting flight of Qatar Airways. It was the airlines which decided not to let her undertake her onwards travel to Germany, considering her visa validity, and flew her back to Kathmandu. This is usually undertaken in accordance with the destination country rules/requirements,' it added.

The release further noted that international transit passengers are not required to approach Indian Immigration for their onwards journey, and this is a matter between the airlines and the passenger, with absolutely no role for Indian immigration authorities.

The MHA also reiterated its commitment to the strong bilateral relationship with Nepal and assured that no Indian authority discriminates against Nepali citizens. (ANI)