Nawalparasi, February 10:

Two inebriated soldiers, who beat up villagers at Daune of Nawalparasi district last night, will be punished according to the Army Act.

Soldiers Binod Panthi and Dipak Karki will be punished, said battalion chief of the Nawalparasi-based Aridaman Battalion of the Nepal Army Colonel Sagar Thapa.

Meanwhile, locals of Daune obstructed traffic on the Mahendra Highway. Later, an agreement was arrived at among the victims, the administration, Maoists, journalists, members of civil society and rights activists to punish the culprits.

The villagers have sought punishment to the culprits, compensation for those injured and wholesale displacement of army personnel from Daune.

The meeting formed a nine-member committee to ensure compensation to the victims at the earliest. The meeting was also attended by Surya Prasad Kafle, administrative officer of the District Administration Office and Nepali army major Nirmal Dhungana.

It has been decided to provide compensation to the victims by tomorrow, said a participant Chhetra Bahadur Gurung.

Soldiers deployed for the security of the Daune-based repeater tower of Nepal Television beat up some locals after getting sozzled in a local Thakali eatery when the locals objected to their misbehaviour with some teenage girls. “After the fracas, 10 soldiers led by Lieutenant Prasant Budhathoki beat up the villagers,” said a local Pushpa Gautam. Eighteen persons were injured.