Treasurer of the Nepali Congress Baridya Constituency No 1, Dal Bahadur Gurung, became the latest victim of the drug-induced violence.[break]
Gurung, 48, was attacked with khukuris when he was returning home from a local school Monday evening. He succumbed to the injuries on Tuesday. Dhiraj Chaudhary and Bijay BK, who were nabbed in connection with the murder from a bordering town with help of Indian police, have been drug addicts, according to inspector Basu Dev Khatiwada.
Sabina Chaudhary, five, of Khairichandanpur Village Development Committee (VDC) was first raped and then killed on a drug-induced high last month. Police said Ram Bahadur Chaudhary, the culprit who has since been jailed, is a drug abuser. Similarly, Juna Budha, 8, of Dhahdhwar was also raped and murdered by a drug abuser, police claim. The guilty, known as Suraj, is yet to be nabbed by police.
Police have numerous records of gang fights following the use of drugs. Violence over minor issues are quite common with a 17-year-old youth losing his life during one such dispute with friends four months back. Narendra Giri, the only son of a police sub inspector, was killed by his friends following a minor dispute. Two of the arrested youths were drug addicts.
Taratal Police Post said majority of the local youths are addicted to drugs and resort to violence over minor issues. Locals claimed though they inform the police about such drug addicts, they have failed to curb the rise in crime. The families of victims killed by drug addicts blocked Gulariya-Kothiyaghat section of the highway and shut down market on Tuesday protesting the police´s failure.