Twenty-two police personnel including two DSPs have been injured in a clash with protesters over the murder of a dalit in Sarlahi on Wednesday.
DSP with the District Police Office Madan Kunwar, DSP with the Barahathawa Area Police Office Uddhav Singh Bhat and Inspector of the Armed Police Force Raj Kumar Jha are among 22 security persons injured in the clash.
A group including Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh had gone to picket the District Police Office over murder of Mahendra Ram of Sisaut in Ramnagar-7 last Wednesday. DSP Santosh Singh Rathore told Setopati that the clash started after the demonstrators pelted stones at the office.
Kunwar has a chest injury while Bhat's fingers have been broken. The injured security persons including the DSP duo are undergoing treatment at the District Hospital. Eighteen transparent shields of the APF and 13 of Nepal Police have been broken during the clash while glass in the police office has been smashed.
A team of 100 APF personnel led by DSP Saroj Khadka had to be summoned to help the police after hundreds of demonstrators picketed the police office.
Mahendra was injured when stones were pelted following clash between Chandu Nanna Mahara and Binod Mahara over picking sponge guard (ghiraula) from the kitchen garden in Sisaut last Wednesday.
He died while undergoing treatment in Birgunj the next day. His relatives have demanded compensation of Rs 1 million and he be declared a martyr.
The police have already arrested a man and two women over the incident but the locals are putting pressure to lodge a case including nine other persons as well. The police, however, have been refusing to comply saying the nine persons were not involved in the incident.
Lawmaker Singh claimed that the group had gone to put pressure after the police refused to lodge complaint. "The body has yet to be taken by the family. We had gone to urge the police to register the complaint and punish all of them," Singh told Setopati.
