Teacher shot dead in Bara

BIRGUNJ, Sept 6: A teacher returning home after teaching at a school was shot dead by an unidentified group Monday afternoon.



Subash Pandey, 42, an English teacher, was returning on a motorcycle after taking classes at the Durga Higher Secondary School in Kalaiya. Police said he died on the spot after being shot at noon. Principal of the school Shyam Pandey said Subash had taken English class in the 11th grade till 10 in the morning before leaving for his home. [break]



Eyewitnesses claimed that a group of four persons riding two motorcycles shot him in the back. The family and locals had staged a sit-in putting the dead body in front of the District Administration Office in the afternoon. They even obstructed vehicular movement demanding action against the culprits and compensation for the family.



Chief District Officer (CDO) Shiva Prasad Nepal said the administration reached an agreement with the family in the evening.



“We have agreed to send recommendation to the government for compensation as demanded by the victim´s family and to bring the culprits to book. They have now taken the body for funeral following postmortem,” CDO Nepal said.



Subash´s colleague Brahmananda Yadav expressed surprise at the murder. “He was a perfect gentleman. We are surprised at his murder,” Yadav said. Yadav revealed that Subash´s nephew Ashok Pandey was also killed by unidentified group around six months ago.



Superintendent of Police (SP) in Bara Manoj Neupane said the police have yet to find out the motive and identity of the murderers. But one person calling himself a central member of the Tarai Janatantrik Mukti Tigers, Ramjane, has claimed responsibility for the murder. Subash is survived by two sons and a wife.



Six teachers shot in four years



Bara President of the Nepal Teachers´ Union Devendra Giri urged the government to provide security for teachers pointing that six teachers were shot at in Bara during the past four years and four were killed.



Pradeep Timilsina, a primary teacher of Fulbariya, was killed in May, 2009, while another primary teacher in Triveni was murdered three years ago while yet another teacher was killed in Simaroungadh four years ago, according to Giri.



Principal of Kanya Secondary School in Kalaiya, Nirmala Thaseneku, and the principal of Shreepur Primary School managed to survive the shootings.

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