The students pelted stones at Shrestha´s car while he was heading to his official residence at around 5:15pm. Though his car was damaged, he was not hurt. "Luckily he survived," said Hemanta Rawal, assistant spokesperson for the SC. [break]
The incident has further justified the SC´s demand for 1,000 policemen for the security of justices, Rawal said.
According to Rawal, Thursday´s incident was a result of a lapse on the part of security personnel deployed for the security arrangement of a VVIP like the CJ.
"Putalisadak area was tense since afternoon," Rawal said, adding, "The security personnel shouldn´t have taken that route." He said the security personnel didn´t take adequate precautionary measure in the CJ´s movement.
Rawal asked the government to provide reliable security at least during VVIP movements.
"It is the duty of security personnel to know the security situation of the route before a VVIP movement," he said, adding, "Even ordinary people were aware that the area was tense, how could police be unaware of it?"
He asked the government to take appropriate action against those who failed to provide effective security to the CJ.
This is the second incident in Kathmandu that an incumbent CJ was attacked by students. Two years ago, then Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri was also attacked in Putalisadak.
Nearly 10 years ago, Maoists had attacked former Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya in Surkhet. Though Upadhyay survived, then Registrar of Surkhet Appellate Court was killed in the incident.
On Thursday, Putalisadak area was tense following protests by Nepal Students´ Union (NSU) demanding security at Shankardev Campus.
The protests at Shankardev turned nasty after police arrested NSU´s campus unit vice president Bishnu Poudel on charge of his involvement in an attack on ANNFSU students including Samik Badal at Tri-Chandra Campus two weeks ago. NSU has denied any involvement in the Tri-Chandra attack.
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