Kathmandu, May 9

Kathmandu Police booked four Chinese protesters for indecent behaviour and released 43 from custody.

Police had arrested a group of 47 Chinese nationals yesterday when they took to the street defying the lockdown and social distancing order issued by the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Chinese protesters, who carried placards demanding their repatriation, beat up police when the latter tried to prevent them from entering Singha Durbar.

Superintendent of Police at Metropolitan Police Range Somendra Singh Rathaur said the four Chinese nationals who were booked under indecent behaviour law would be arraigned at Kathmandu District Administration Office tomorrow. Rathaur said two of the four defendants were employees of a company but the other two were tourists. He said the two tourists were not divulging details of their travel history and their status.

Two security personnel, including Deputy Superintendent of Police Hari Bahadur Basnet and three Chinese demonstrators were hurt in the clash. Police resorted to baton-charge and detained all the demonstrators, who not only staged a protest with placards and face masks, but also pelted security personnel with stones.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on May 10, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.