According to Pawan Jha, in-charge of Dhanushadham police post in Janakpur, a boy participant of Mithila Parikrama had used bricks from the home of one Saddam Hussain to build a fireplace for cooking. [break]
When Hussain´s wife learnt that the boy had used the bricks, she beat up the boy. When other participants of Mithila Parikarma protested, she cut the boy´s hands with a sickle. When tension arose, police intervened and the sadhus too were injured.
The Sadhus, angry over police intervention, set fire to Hussain´s home. Holding up axes, trident and spears in their hands, they also prevented the police from dousing the fire. Shortly, a gas cylinder exploded and the fire spread to more houses.
Apart from Hussain´s home, huts and shops owned by Dipendra Singh, Shree Mahara, Dukhi Kapar, Chandeshwar Kapar and Rajkumar Sah were also damaged by the fire. After the Sadhus went berserk, a police team led by DSP Narendra Upreti and a team of Armed Police Force (APF) led by DSP Krishan Karmacharya had reached the spot. But, they just acted as mute spectators before the sadhus, according to eyewitnesses.
On Thursday, nearly 50,000 people, including the sadhus, had arrived in Janakpur while journeying around the Mithila region. Mithila Parikrama is a 113 km-long journey around the Mithila region, which straddles parts of Nepal and India. Every year, thousands of people participate in Mithila Parikarma ahead of the Biwaha Panchami, which is observed every year in memory of the wedding between Lord Ram and Sita.
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