SINDHUPALCHOK: The District Administration Office, Sindhupalchok has suspended a curfew imposed indefinitely on Sunday in Bahrabise Bazaar in the district following clashes between the police and the affected locals over a road widening issue.

The affected locals have been protesting Bahrabise municipality removing them from the sides of the Araniko Highway during a road widening accusing them of encroaching public lands. Curfew removing followed the formation of a committee to probe the issue, Chief District Officer Goma Devi Chemjong said.

The seven-member committee is tasked with submitting a report in this regard within seven days. An all-party gathering on Sunday formed the committee led by municipality officer Yug Bahadur Khadka. Ward chairpersons of the respective wards and police officers and land surveyors are members of the committee. Necessary steps on the matter would be taken acting on a report to be submitted by the probe committee, said CDO Chemjong.

The Municipality on Friday pulled down the houses and sheds constructed on both sides of the highway encroaching upon the road and making it narrow after the owners of these structures disobeyed the Municipality's orders to vacate and remove these structures. The municipality demolished these structures using dozer. The local administration had clamped down curfew from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday to take the situation under control after a clash erupted between the police and the demonstrators who protested the demolition.