Rautahat, September 26

A clash that broke out today between two communities in Rautahat’s Garuda Municipality has left 17 persons injured, including policemen. Police had to fire dozens of tear gas shells and bullets to take the situation under control.

The clash happened when locals of Raghunathpur, Garuda, were prevented from cremating the  body of Ramprit Sahani on  the Chandikhola river banks, a site used by the community for long, by members of another community.  While 12 persons from both communities were injured in the clash, five policemen were also injured. All the injured are now undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the district.

As the clash that lasted for around two hours didn’t show any sign to subsiding, police fired 32 rounds of tear gas shells and 23 rounds in the air to take the situation under control.

According to SP Kedar Dhakal, normalcy has returned to the village following the deployment of security personnel. He also informed that police had detained two persons for their involvement in the clash.

It is important to note that similar clash had also broken out in the same place last week when locals tired to cremate a body there. Police had to fire five rounds to take the situation under control then.