RAUTAHAT, Dec 14: Even though the parliamentary and provincial elections were largely peaceful, incidents of crime and violence have increased noticeably in various parts of Rautahat after the polls, it has been observed.
Reportedly, the incidents of murder, abduction, clashes and disputes have been rampant especially after the completion of vote counting on Sunday. Last Friday, two Nepali and two Indian citizens went missing from a petrol pump in Yamuna Mai Municipality of Rautahat. The owner of the petrol pump Shaukat Ali, 25, of Paroha Municipality-5, staff Gaurinarayan Mahato of Madhav Narayan Municipality, driver Chandan Das and assistant driver Dharmendra Das became contactless for days. The driver and assistant driver are Indian nationals. The dead body of Shaukat Ali was recovered from a nearby area on Sunday.
Criminal activities rampant in Rautahat
Locals immediately informed the police as soon as they saw the body of Ali thrown in a bush. As per the preliminary investigation, it has been found that he was abducted and later murdered. Locals of Jigadwa village staged a protest by obstructing the Gaur-Chandranigahapur road section urging the concerned authorities to nab the culprits and take stern action against them. Later, transportation was resumed after DSP Yagya Binod Pokharel assured the locals that police will find the perpetrators and punish them.
Similarly, Nemi Lal Thakur, 32, of Chandrapur Municipality ward 10, Balchanpur lost his life after apparently being beaten by a local of another ward. Drunken Thakur was creating disturbance in the locality when Asfak Alam of Chandrapur Municipality-5 tried to control him. Their argument soon turned into a heated dispute. Thakur was knocked unconscious after being beaten by Alam. He was rushed to a hospital but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries on the way.
His family members and relatives staged a violent protest along Gaur-Chandranigahapur road section. Police fired 33 rounds of bullets in the air to take the situation under control. According to Shanti Raj Koirala, DSP of Area Police Office, Chandranigahapur, police have taken Alam under custody for further investigation.
Meanwhile, a victory rally of Nepali Congress (NC) and Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) resulted in a violent clash in Pharhadawa of Rajpur. The cadres celebrating the victory of Mohammad Aftab, who got elected in constituency 2 in the parliamentary elections, met with the cadres of Ram Kishor Yadav of FSFN who won the provincial elections in constituency 2(b) on the way. As the cadres started fighting with each other, police fired six rounds of bullets in the air to control the mob.
