Updated: 8 hurt as police open fire on protesters in Kanchanpur

Published On: August 23, 2018 03:21 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KANCHANPUR, Aug 23: At least eight people including two police officials were injured after police opened fire on protesters while they were staging demonstration demanding arrest of the culprit involved in the rape and murder case of Nirmala Panta on Thursday.

Those injured are Arjun Bhandari, 17, of Bhimdatta Municipality-18. According to police, Bhandari has received a bullet in his left leg. He has been taken to Seti Zonal hospital after preliminary treatment at Mahakali Zonal hospital.

Other injured include Tej Bhatta, Krita Paneru, Manoj Budha and Santosh Kathariya. They have sustained shrapnel injuries. Similarly, police head constable Harka Bahadur Pal and constable Mahesh Bhatta have also been injured in the clash.

Kanchapur locals have been demonstrating for the last three days demanding arrest of the culprit involved in the raping and killing of Nirmala Panta, a 13-year-old girl of Bhimdatta municipality-2, Kanchanpur.

The irate locals had called an indefinite strike on last Tuesday. The indefinite strike has brought the life in Kanchanpur to a grinding halt.

Kanchanpur Police arrested 41-year-old Dilip Singh Bista, a local of Bhimdatta Municipality-19, in connection with the Nirmala rape case after 24 days of the incident.

Nonetheless, locals do not believe Bista’s involvement in the case as he is mentally retarded and have accused the police administration of arresting him to simply dispel the agitation of the protesters.

Market places in Mahendranagar, Suda, Lalpur, Daiji, Champhapur, Sisaiya, Bhansi, schools and factories and transportation have remained closed due to the strike.

Demonstrators have been burning tyres in the major thoroughfares of the town while students from various schools too have been taking part in the demonstrations.

Security personnel have been mobilized in large numbers in protesting areas to avert the untoward incidents, according to the District Police Office, Kanchanpur.

A team led by SSP Chand has been formed and mandated to look into the murder case of Panta.

A 13-year-old Nirmala Panta had been ruthlessly raped and killed while she was returning home from her friend's house at Bhimdatta municipality-2, Kanchanpur on July 26.

Nirmala's body was found dumped in a sugarcane field the following day.

Photos by: Rajendra Bhatta