Birgunj, February 3:

Representatives of different political parties, including Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, have demanded that superintendent of police in Parsa Yogeshwor Romkhami be suspended for the killing of “innocent people in police action in Birgunj-3 Pragatinagar on Friday night.”

They made this demand at a joint meeting and called for the formation of a high-level commission to probe the incident.

Through the chief district officer, the representatives sent a memorandum to the Home Ministry. Police had claimed that three persons associated with an Indian criminal gang were killed in police action at Birgunj-3 Pragatinagar on Friday night. But the villagers identified the two dead as Manoj Prasad Kurmi of Hariharpurbirta-7, Parsa, and Sanjay Patel of Hariharpurbirta-4.

Kurmi’s neighbour Raj Kumar Patel said Kurmi was not involved in criminal activities. .

However, SP Romkhami claimed that the three were killed in retaliation.

Meanwhile, a group vandalised and burnt the office of Narayani Today daily at the Maisthan main road for running a news report that said three “criminals” were killed in police action.

Meanwhile, in a press statement issued in Kathmandu today, the TMDP condemned yesterday’s police operation. All three who died on Friday night are learnt to have sustained bullet injuries in the chest. This is unnatural and proves that there was no encounter as claimed, the statement said.