Bara, January 22:

A group of around 25 persons beat up eight staffers, including Local District Officer (LDO) Bishnu Raj Lamichhane, inside the Bara District Development Committee (DDC) office today.

The staffers were beaten after they refused to give donations to the group members for conducting Saraswati puja.

LDO Lamichhane, chief engineer Shyam Sundar Mishra, programme officer Bharat Yadav, overseer Hari Parajuli, saving and loan facilitator Taiyab Ansari, non-gazetted officers Rajib Yadav and Badri Bahadur Thapa and peon Krishna Bahadur Karki were beaten.

The group fled from the scene as the security personnel arrived, Chief District Officer Bhola Prasad Siwakoti said. “The group members sought donations for Saraswoti puja. They misbehaved with us when we refused to donate them money,” LDO said. The group also took away cash receipts, a digital camera, one gold-ring belonging to non-gazetted officer Yadav, sources at the Bara DDC said. The group also took to vandalism, the sources said.

DDC staffers have locked up the office for an indefinite period. Demanding that the assailants be punished, DDC workers’ ad hoc committee Bara has lodged a complaint at the Bara

District Administration Office. Workers said they will stage a sit-in on the office premises on Wednesday if the assailants are not arrested by tomorrow. Following the beating, work has come to a halt in the district.