Locals hurt in police action

RAUTAHAT: Scores of Jhunkhunwa VDC locals were injured in a clash with Armed Police Force personnel in the VDC along the Birendra Highway in Rautahat district on Wednesday night.

The clash occurred when the irate locals were protesting the beating up of a boy who had been handed to the police on the charge of stealing a mobile set. Shekh Jamshed Alam, 11, a resident of Jhunkhunwa, was severely beaten up by an APF constable after being handed over to Phutaha Armed Police Force on Thursday.

The APF personnel charged batons to disperse the agitating mob. Women and children were injured in the police action. The locals, on the other hand, torched a police post.

Ram Janam Chaudhari, Muna Paswan, Birendra Raut, Kisi Baitha, Parmud Miya, Gangaram Baitha, Jamdar Miya, Ram Babu Baitha, Mukesh Das, Pradid Baitha and Jamsed Miya were among the those injured. They are undergoing treatment in Gaur Hospital. The condition of Jamdar, Mukesh and Parmud is said to be critical, informed Dr Pramod Yadav of Gaur Hospital.

The irate locals later disrupted vehicular movement along Gaur-Chandranigahpur section of the highway this morning. However, the road was cleared and traffic resumed at 1 pm after an agreement was reached between the locals and the police.

Locals were assured that action would be taken against the APF constable involved in the incident and the injured boy would get free treatment, said SP Mahesh Shrestha at the APF Border Security Office in Gaur.