PLA fighters gherao police post for release of deserter

Nawalparasi, August 8:

Fighters of the Maoist PLA today gheraoed a police post in Sunbal of Nawalparasi demanding that an escapee PLA fighter who fled the PLA fourth division headquarters at Jhyaltungdanda and who took shelter in the police post be handed over to them.

The PLA personnel claimed that Dipak Gurung of the PLA fled along with his weapon. Gurung was on sentry duty in the camp when he fled. Gurung has claimed life in the PLA camp was harsh and that he only wanted to return home and live like a free man. After he deserted the camp, a band of PLA men chased him and had an altercation with him at Sunbal bazaar. Gurung managed to elude them and flee to the Sunbal police post.

Inspector Om Prakash Chaudhary said some 30 PLA fighters were staging a protest outside the police post today demanding that Gurung be handed over to them. He added that Gurung had sought police protection saying he did not want to go back to the PLA camp. The PLA men also manhandled Gurung when police handed him over to media persons and rights activists. Thereafter, police took Gurung under its protection and housed him in the police post.