The locals have been enraged by the government decision to relocate Gaur-based government offices to Chandranigahapur and agitating demanding a roll back.Gaur locals, businessmen and political parties accuse the government that it was trying to relocate the district headquarters by establishing the government offices to Chandranigahapur.
Police fired around two dozen tear gas canisters and few rubber bullets to contain the situation. Police Inspector Anuj Jung Rayamajhi and three police constables were injured when protestors pelted stones at the security forces.
Bidya Nanda Yadav of Mudwalba, 35, sustained serious injury in his head after being hit by rubber bullet. He received normal treatment in Gaur and was taken to Birgunj District Hospital for further treatment. Although police claimed they only fired rubber bullet, Dr Manoj Kaushal of the district hospital say they have found metal bullet in the head of the injured.
Inspector Arjun Junga Raimajhi, Birendra Yadav and three others have sustained injury from the stones hurled by protestors. Meanwhile, Shova Yadav, chairman of Forum Nepal Rautahat, Baban Singh, former Constituent Assembly member, Rajesh Shah of UCPN Maoist, Rakesh Yadav, Geeta Kushwaha and over 10 others sustained injury after police used batons to disperse the crowd of protesters.
According to Chief District Officer Madan Bhujel, the authorities intervened only after the protestors resorted to rowdy acts like burning tires and blocking roads throwing logs.
12 journalists injured
A dozen journalists, including district based reporters of national media, were seriously injured during reporting. The local journalists were locked up for eight minutes in the Rautahat-based office of Prateek Dainik. The police had thrown tear gas canisters into the room after forcing the journalists into it, according to Shailendra Gupta, president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Rautahat Chapter.
Ramesh Thakur of Kantipur Television Network, Praveen Tibdewal of Terai Television, Rakesh Yadav of ABC TV and Sanjay Kumar Mishra of Commander Dainik were among the injured journalists.
The injured are receiving treatment at Gaur hospital.
As per the police, authorities decided to clamp down a curfew from 8pm Friday night until further notice to bring the situation under control.
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