Dozens injured in attack on passenger buses

Three passengers critical

RAJBIRAJ, Sept 27: Cadres of the agitating Madhesi parties attacked passenger buses at Bhardaha VDC along the East-West Highway in Saptari district on Sunday injuring over three dozen people. The condition of three passengers is said to be critical.

The agitators pelted stones and vandalized the vehicles while being escorted by the police, according to Area Police Office (APO) of Bhardaha.

The three seriously injured passengers were rushed to Biratnagar for treatment, informed SP Shisir Kumar Karmacharya, who is also the chief of District Police Office (DPO), Saptari. He further said that rest of the injured passengers reached their destination with police escort.

Police arrested three protestors involved in the incident. The arrested have been identified as Arbind Das of Madhwapur VDC, Shivanandan Chaudhary of Hariharpur VDC and Amar Thakur of Kanchanpur VDC, as per the DPO.

Normal life in Saptari has remained adversely affected as the protests by Madhesi parties have continued for the last 43 days. All the government offices, educational institutes, banks, shops, transportation and corporate institutes remained closed due to the banda.

Arrested TMDP leaders sent to jail

According to Makwanpur-based Republica correspondent, Upendra Yadav, two leaders of Tarai-Madhesh Democratic Party (TMDP) -- Jitendra Sonal and Nawalkishor Singh -- who were arrested earlier on charge of vandalism and torching a truck during the demonstrations, have been sent to jail in Bara on Sunday.

The DAO had sought a bail amount of Rs 149,000 from the arrested leaders. After the leaders refused to pay the bail amount, they were sent to jail, according to Chief District Officer (CDO) Bal Krishna Panthi, of Bara.

Sonal is the general secretary and Singh is the chairman of Bara chapter of TMDP, which is a part of the United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF).

Mourning ceremony organized

Students and locals of Mahottari district on Sunday organized a function at Jaleshwar, district headquarters of Mahottari, to mourn the death of Rohan Chaudhary, as per the report of Mahottari-based Republica correspondent, Mahesh Kumar Das.

The 17-year-old boy, Rohan, was a tenth grader at Shishugyan Nikunja Bording School, who was killed in police firing during the protest on September 9.

The ceremony was organized on his school premises. Relatives, school mates and well-wishers of the deceased marked the ceremony by offering prayers for the departed soul and garlands on his photo.