Himalayan News Service

Rupandehi, May 13:

The District Police Office, Rupandehi, has taken action against three policemen allegedly manhandling journalists collecting news on a referendum on the republican set up in the country carried out by students of the Lumbini Commerce Campus.

SP Dhak Bahadur Karki of the DPO said DSP Om Prakash Yadav, ASI Bhoj Raj Sharma and constable Om Prakash Yadav have been transferred to Dipayal in Doti. The policemen failed to give their explanations within the given time frame of 24 hours.

They had been earlier posted at the Butwal police post. “They would have to go to the place

they have been transferred,” Karki said. However, he did not clarify on the duration of their stay in the new post.

Meanwhile, Hari Lamsal, district chairman of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Rupandehi, said the move is simply a drama to marginalise the request of the journalists.

He said the FNJ committee is planning a protest programme and has called a meeting to discuss the same.

The committee served an ultimatum to the DPO demanding that the guilty policemen be fired and DSP Maya Kumar Shah and CDO Dhruv Prasad Sharma ask for public apology.

Around 18 journalists were hurt in the incident at the Campus.