Surkhet, November 12:

A police constable at the District Jail in Surkhet, Ganesh Kumvakar, gunned down one Dinesh Puri, 16, at Chisapani in Birendranagar municipality-5 this morning.

Kumvakar called Dinesh out of his house and opened fire on him, family sources said. Raju Shrestha, 10, who was sleeping by Dinesh’s side, said: “Police took him to the yard and opened fire.” Gopal Puri, 50, father of Dinesh, was injured in the incident.

Gopal was sent to Nepalgunj for treatment, Sushila Puri, Dinesh’s sister, said. “Kumvakar, who was in the uniform, fled after Dinesh’s father shouted for help,” eyewitnesses said.

“The incident took place due to a family dispute. Ganesh is the husband of Dinesh’s sister,” Khim Bahadur Dangi, a neighbour, said. According to him, Ganesh had married Tika Puri, Dinesh’s sister, without permission from the family.

Meanwhile, the District Police Office (DPO), Surkhet, has begun an investigation into the incident.