A serious breach of sovereign airspace has occurred in the remote northwestern frontier of Nepal, after an Indian military helicopter carrying a high-ranking security official flew deep into Nepali territory without permission.

The incident, classified by security experts as a direct airspace violation, took place on June 10 at approximately 10:00 am. According to the district administration and security agencies in Darchula, the military chopper was transporting Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, the director-general of India’s Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The aircraft bypassed the standard border routes, entering the sovereign Nepali airspace in ward 1 of Byas Rural Municipality and flying directly over the village of Chhangru before heading towards the Kalapani region.

The unauthorised flight triggered immediate anger among residents of Chhangru, who have long endured the geopolitical fallout of living adjacent to heavily militarised, Indian-occupied Nepali territory.

"Usually, Indian choppers follow the path along the Mahakali river, and since they fly regularly on their side of the border, we rarely pay much attention," a local youth from Chhangru, who witnessed the intrusion, told Kantipur. "But on Wednesday, the helicopter flew directly above our houses. It felt like an intrusion into our private lives. We all ran out of the house, shouting and protesting in anger."

The Armed Police Force (APF) company stationed in Chhangru immediately observed the breach and reported it to the APF 44th Battalion Headquarters in Khalanga, the district headquarters of Darchula. The information was subsequently relayed through local administration channels to the Ministry of Home Affairs in Kathmandu.

"We have verified that the Indian military helicopter entered Nepali airspace without the required prior permission from the government of Nepal," said Mohan Singh Dhami, the assistant chief district officer of Darchula. According to him, the director general of the ITBP was reportedly on his way to inspect the military barracks at Gunji in the Kalapani area, but the weather that day was completely clear. There was absolutely no meteorological emergency or technical distress that could justify this detour.

Dhami stated that the local administration has taken the matter seriously and is demanding a formal explanation from the Indian authorities. "We are following the official procedure to write to the office of the District Magistrate in Pithoragarh, India, seeking a clarification on why our airspace was violated without communication," he added.

This is not an isolated incident but part of a persistent pattern of geopolitical friction in Darchula. In 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a formal diplomatic protest note to New Delhi after Indian military helicopters continuously violated Nepali airspace by flying over the Guru Gorakh Battalion Headquarters of the Nepali Army in Khalanga. Following a strict recommendation from the District Security Committee, Kathmandu had officially asked India to respect its territorial borders.

The latest provocation comes amid deep-seated tensions over the Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura region, which is an integral part of Nepal according to historical treaties, but has been occupied by the Indian military, ITBP, and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for decades.

Tensions flared in 2019 when India published a map claiming these areas, prompting Nepal to issue its own revised political map, which was unanimously endorsed through a historic constitutional amendment on June 13, 2020.

Following that amendment, Nepal heightened its security posture by establishing an APF company under an Inspector in Chhangru and a Border Outpost (BOP) in Tinkar to guard the frontier.

Despite Nepal's persistent protests, India has unilaterally constructed a strategic road through the Kalapani territory connecting to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar in Tibet, China. Just last month, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dispatched another diplomatic note reiterating its sovereign claims after India and China agreed to expand bilateral trade through the Lipulekh pass.

The airspace breach occurred just days before Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, flagged off the first batch of Indian pilgrims travelling to Mansarovar, further highlighting India’s continuous administrative assertion over the contested area.

Former Nepali Army Lieutenant General Sharad Giri describes the entry of a foreign military helicopter into Nepal’s airspace as a serious matter.

“Whether it entered intentionally or due to a technical problem, the government must seek an explanation. Regardless of the circumstances, this cannot be taken as a normal incident,” said Giri.

“Even if the aircraft crossed into Nepali airspace because of a technical issue, the relevant authorities of the concerned country should have immediately informed Nepal through the appropriate channels. However, there is no indication that this was done. The incident should therefore be treated as an airspace violation,” he added.