The Sashastra Seema Bal has beefed up vigil along the India-Nepal border after the Armed Police Force of the neighbouring nation opened fire on a farmer from Kishanganj district of Bihar when he was apparently searching for his cow across the frontier on Sunday.

The resident of Fatehpur village in the Terhagachch block of Kishanganj suffered a bullet injury and is under treatment at a hospital in Purnia. “The SSB (that guards the India-Nepal border) is always on alert. Vigil has been increased on the Nepal frontier. Along with Kishanganj district administration and police, we are also probing the firing,” said an SSB officer.

The force would also check out whether the gunshots were fired because there was lockdown on either side of the border.

In Bihar, fresh lockdown has been in force from July 16 to July 31. The Nepal government extended the lockdown till July 22.

Panchayat members of villages located close to the Nepal border were asked to keep a vigil on the residents so that nobody moved beyond the frontier, particularly during the lockdown.

“In case of any emergency, they should contact the local SSB personnel or the police,” a source said.

India and Nepal share a border of 1,751km. Around 725km of border is with Bihar, while 100km boundary is in Darjeeling district.