SARLAHI, Nov 6: Seven days after Nepali Congress (NC) cadre Rambilas Mahato was shot dead in Ramnagar Rural Municipality of Sarlahi, his body was cremated on Monday morning on the banks of the local Manushmara River. 

NC leader Amresh Kumar Singh placed a party flag over the dead body.

Ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) cadres had allegedly attacked Ramnagar Ward-4 chairman Ram Naresh Mahato last Monday and gone on to shoot his uncle, Rambilas, dead the next day during a clash in Boharwa village. Several villagers were injured.

NC's Sarlahi district chapter chief Nagendra Kumar Raya said the deceased was cremated as the government agreed to most of the demands raised by the victim's family. The party had submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) demanding that the guilty be arrested, the deceased be declared martyr, the injured be provided free treatment, the family of the slain NC cadre be provided enough compensation, and illegal arms be controlled.

NC halted the protests after the government started free treatment of those injured and provided Rs 1,000,000 as compensation to the family of the deceased, and began the investigation process. Raya said that a second phase of protests will start after the Chhath festival if the remaining demands were not met by then. 

Chief District Officer (CDO) Dorna Pokhrel said that a check was ready and would be handed over to the family of the deceased, after they produced a relationship confirmation certificate.

NC has been holding NCP cadres responsible for the clashes that took place Tuesday morning. Ward Chairman Ram Naresh was attacked on his way to office and was seriously injured the day before. The victim's family and those injured state that the same group which had attacked Ram Naresh attacked the village with guns the next morning. However, NCP Sarlahi chief Rewati Panta claimed that the cadres of his party were not involved in the clash.

On Sunday, all marketplaces in the district were shut down and vehicular movement along the East-West highway was also halted in protest against the government's 'indifference' towards the incident.

Sarlahi police have arrested and remanded two individuals on the charge of involvement in the clashes. Superintendent of Police (SP) Pushraj Pokhrel said that Upendra Yadav and Ram Binay Sah, locals of Boharwa village had been arrested. Pokhrel said that a process has begun to book the guilty on charges of murder and attempt to murder. Search for those involved in the clash who fled the scene has also begun.

The families of the deceased and injured have filed complaints on murder charges against 22 individuals.

A three-member probe panel led by Senior Superintendent of Police Shekhar Koirala has started interrogating those concerned from Thursday.  A police source said that Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau, too, has mobilized a team to investigate the incident.

 
• Sarlahi
 
• Nepal