Pokhara, January 21:

Student leaders, activists of agitating student unions and police clashed briefly in Pokhara today when the police tried to foil a mass meeting. Five students and three policemen were injured in the scuffle.

The students took out a protest rally from the gate of the Prithvi Narayan Campus that later converged into a corner meeting after reaching Taxi Chowk. The police then intervened and lathi charged the students.

Kumar Tamang of All Nepal National Free Students’ Union was injured critically from the lathi charge.

The scuffle erupted when the police tried to snatch away burning torches from the protesting students. Both sides pelted stones to each other. Addressing the corner meeting, central member of ANNFSU Sovit Dhakal said any conspiracy to extend the autocratic regime will be foiled.