Rautahat, September 12

United Democratic Madhesi Front Cadres today set fire to three cargo trucks in Bara, Manaharwa.

The Kathmandu-bound vehicles carrying sugar were torched at Shreepur in Manaharwa at 3:00am.

“Around 25 persons took control of the trucks, dragged the drivers out, beat them and set the vehicles ablaze,” informed the sugar industry manager Rajesh Pande, adding, 58 tonnes sugar was destroyed along with two of the trucks.

“A fire engine from Kalaiya along with security personnel had swung into action, but by the time they put out the fire two trucks were burned. The third truck was damaged.”

In Dhanusha, Janakpur town went quiet after authorities declared the area ‘riot-hit’ and continued the curfew. However, demonstrations and clashes were reported almost the entire day on the inner roads and areas of the town today. Clashes took place for some time at Ramanand Chowk and Pidari Chowk. Agitators torched a police beat at Mukhyapatti Musarniya. They also smashed the windows of CPN-UML leader Raghubir Mahaseth’s house.

Elsewhere in the district, police beats were torched at Banarjhula, Duhabi Gobarahi and Tinkauriya. Agitators also picketed Khajuri police office and held demonstrations there.

Mahottari was tense. Though army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police patrolled the area during curfew, agitators torched a motorbike in Shankarchowk. In Siraha, agitators blocked the highway at a number of places and demonstrated in the district headquarters.

In Sarlahi, police arrested four persons including Tarai Madhes Democratic Party lawmaker Jangilal Yadav for attempting to torch Kawalasi Police post. Eight persons led by Yadav had barged into the police post and resorted to vandalism and attempted to torch it at about 4:00pm and police had to fire five rounds in the air.

“The situation there could have taken an ugly turn if personnel from the Armed Police Border Security Force of Kawalasi and Nepal Police had not intervened,” said DSP Ramesh Kumar Khadka of Sarlahi.

Earlier, the agitators had torched the temporary police posts in Haripurwa. In the wake of the incident, police posts in Godaita, Haripurwa and Sisaut were merged with Mohanpur police post.