SARLAHI, July 5: After four days of tussle, life has finally turned back to normalcy in Sarlahi as the family members of the child who drowned in a pit dug up near the Banke River and the youth who got killed while protesting for him signed an agreement with the local unit on Wednesday evening.

Normal life was thrown out of gear after the locals and victims' family members staged continuous protests demanding justice for the two. Last Saturday, 11-year-old son of Lale Ray of Ishwarpur Municipality-13 died after falling into the pit dug by a crusher plant along the Banke River for sand extraction. Following the death of the child, locals and family members took to the streets and obstructed vehicular movement in the district headquarters on Sunday.

Eventually, a clash had erupted when police tried to resume traffic. During the clash, the protesters pelted stones at the security personnel who opened fire and 28 years old Saroj Narayan Mahato of Gaurishankar got killed on the spot. Similarly, Raj Kumar Mahara, 21, of the same place was injured in the clash. Family members had refused to receive the dead bodies until their demands were addressed.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pratit Singh Rathor, spokesperson for the District Police Office (DPO), Sarlahi, the family members, Ishwarpur Municipality and various political parties came to an agreement regarding the issue on Wednesday. Immediately after the agreement, the victims' family members received the dead bodies which had been kept at the District Hospital for the last four days.

According to the agreement, the municipality and political leaders have agreed to consult with the local government on whether or not to declare the deceased as martyrs, family members will be provided with Rs 25,000 each as the funeral cost, and discussions will be held on providing Rs 500,000 to the family of the child. Not just that, injured Raj Kumar will be provided treatment expenses, the wife of Saroj Narayan will be prioritized by the local unit for employment, the pit where the child drowned will be buried, among others.

 
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