Two protesters hurt

BIRGUNJ: Accusing the Parawanipur-based Hulas Biscuit Industries of not paying them the hiked salary, workers of the industries staged a sit-in on the Birgunj-Pathlaiya road for five hours on Tuesday. Workers of the Shiva Bhagawan Industries joined them later. A security guard of the Shiva Bhagawan Industries, Raju Chaudhary, and worker Meghnath Shrestha were injured when a truck hit them while they were staging the protest. The agitated workers blocked the Birgunj-Pathlaiya road from 1pm till 6 pm. — HNS

Maoists unlock house

DAMAK: Following an agreement between the Maoists and the seven-party alliance (SPA), the rebels on Tuesday unlocked house of Gita Khadka at Gauradaha VDC in Jhapa district. Maoists’ Jhapa-based people’s government office secretary, Nabin, who unlocked Gita’s house in presence of journalists, said, the move followed an ‘all-party agreement.’ The Maoists had murdered Gita’s husband Krishna and padlocked the house in March/April 2005 on the charges of conspiring to kill two Maoist activists. — HNS

Girl killed in mishap

DHADING: A five-year-old girl was killed and a woman injured when they were hit by a truck bound for Kathmandu from Birgunj at Pinda Village Development Committee-1 in Dhading on Tuesday. Sujita Shrestha, daughter of Fanendra Shrestha of Kalleri VDC-9, Mulabari, died on the spot while Shrestha’s wife Bimala was critically injured in the mishap that occured along Prithvi Highway, police said. She was taken to Kathmandu for treatment. Enraged locals blocked traffic for a while on the highway after the incident. The enraged mob also vandalised the truck. The driver has been arrested and the truck seized, Area Police Office, Gajuri, said. — HNS

Youths held, freed

LAHAN: Two youths who were collecting donation from vehicles on the highway were arrested from Golbazaar on Tuesday. Ganga Mahato and Goluwa Yadav of Asanpur-7 were saying that the amount was being collected for Durga puja. Locals, saying that Mahato and Yadav were arrested following directives from security chiefs of the eastern region, disrupted traffic for two hours on Tuesday. Superintendent of Police Bhog Bahadur Thapa said that the arrested youths were released later and traffic on the highway resumed. Donation collection in the name of pujas and festivals has increased in rural areas linking the highway. — HNS