JANAKPURDHAM, July 29

As many as 20 persons were injured when protesters clashed with police personnel repeatedly at Balawa in Mahottari on Wednesday.

The clashes erupted when locals hit the street demanding release of CK Raut’s supporters. Of the injured, six were police personnel and the remaining were protesters.

Police had arrested Sanjay Kumar Yadav from Padaul in Mahottari and Satya Narayan Yadav of Balawa-2 for vandalising a vehicle and pelting stones yesterday night. Agitators pelted stones at police personnel seeking the release of the Yadav duo.

ASI Jit Bahadur Basnet and Constable Anirudra Gupta were among the injured.

Police opened six rounds of tear gas shells and fired three rounds in the air after protesters vandalised two vehicles belonging to police. Irate protesters vandalised two vehicles on the Jaleswor-Batrdibas road section and set three motorcycles on fire. Clashes closed Balawa Bazaar throughout the day. Transport service along Jaleswor-Bardibas was halted.

Earlier, twenty persons were injured when locals clashed with police personnel yesterday night. SP Saurav Rana at District Police Office said that tension erupted when cadres of CK Raut were trying to screen visuals of Raut at a public place. Rana said that Raut loyalists and locals had pelted stones when police requested them not to show the visuals in front of the police station. Rana added that police had fired few tear gas shells and fired in the air in self-defence.

After police took Raut’s video and projector under control, irate locals pelted stones at Area Police Office, Balawa. A large number of personnel from APF and Nepal police have been deployed in and around the police station.