MHA clarifies: Nepali citizen stopped at Delhi airport by airline over visa salidity, not by Indian immigration

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday (Nov 1) issued a clarification stating that Indian immigration authorities had no role in stopping a Nepali citizen, Shambhavi Adhikari, from boarding a Berlin-bound flight at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

The clarification comes after widespread social media claims alleged that the woman was barred from boarding due to her nationality.

“The incident has been wrongly portrayed as bias or discrimination against Nepali citizens. It is to clarify that the Indian immigration authorities have no role to play in this entire episode,” the MHA said in its statement.

According to the Ministry, Adhikari had arrived from Kathmandu on an Air India flight and was transiting through Delhi for her onward journey to Berlin via a Qatar Airways flight.

However, she was stopped by Qatar Airways staff, who found her visa validity inadequate for entry into Germany. The airline subsequently decided not to let her board the connecting flight and instead flew her back to Kathmandu on the same day.

“Such matters are handled in accordance with the destination country’s rules and the airline’s responsibility to comply with them,” the MHA said, adding that international transit passengers are not required to approach Indian immigration authorities during their onward journey.

After being sent back, Adhikari reportedly rescheduled her travel dates and later successfully travelled to Berlin taking another route from Kathmandu.

The Ministry underscored that this incident should not be interpreted as an act of hostility or bias from Indian authorities, but as a standard airline procedure linked to international visa protocols.

Rejecting any claims of discrimination, the Home Ministry reaffirmed India’s historic ties with Nepal, saying: “India values its strong relationship with Nepal and reassures that no Indian authority has any bias or discrimination against citizens of Nepal.”

The clarification comes amid active cross-border travel between India and Nepal, facilitated under the open border arrangement between the two countries, allowing citizens to move freely without visas.