DHANGADHI: More than 500 farmers in the district took to streets today protesting police inaction over the Maoists capture of paddy.

The protest follows Wednesday night’s incident in which the UCPN-Maoist activists had seized the farmers’ harvested paddy.

Infuriated farmers of Baliya, Pratappur, Chuha, Dododhara and Kotatulsipur VDCs who lost their paddy to Maoists, organised an hour-long blockade of Mahendra Highway near Gulara.

The farmers have sought compensation from the Maoists for seizing their paddy that was about to be stored.

UCPN-Maoist area in-charge Ranganath Dhakal, Chuha VDC in-charge Santuram Chaudhary, Bal Bahadur Bista among others had looted the paddy.

The paddy belonged to Shankarman Bohara, Khemraj Pandey, Prem Dhungana and Khadgabir Chaudhary of Chuha and Hasuliya VDC respectively.

The farmers also lodged a complaint at the Area Police Office in Lamki against 12 Maoistsleaders, including area in-charge Ranganath Dhakal, Santuram Chaudhary, Bal Bahadur Bista, Kumbharaj Baduwal among others.