Prithivi Highway obstructed protesting death of NA soldier

Chitwan, November 17

Irate locals obstructed the Prithivi Highway for three hours following the death of a Nepali Army soldier at temporary Police Post in Fishling of Ichhakamana Rural Municipality, Chitwan, today.

NA solider Ram Kandel, 28, of the rural municipality, who was in police custody, died at the police post today. He was serving at NA’s Barda Bahadur Battalion in Sindhuli. Police had arrested Kandel after he misbehaved with a police constable while returning home from a fair at Ichhakamana temple, last night. The NA personnel was on a home leave.

Superintendent of Police Dan Bahadur Malla in District Police Office, Chitwan, said Kandel died while he was trying to escape police custody. A critically injured Kandel died on the way to Bharatpur Hospital. The body was kept in the morgue, said police.

An eyewitness said police took Kandel into custody after a minor dispute broke out between constable Thakur Dhakal at the police post while Kandel was returning from the temple in a bus. Locals said Kandel had traded blows with Dhakal and police constable Dhakal took Kandel to the police post.

According to police, Kandel went to toilet after he was taken to the police post and did not return for long. He was found lying on the ground, critically injured after he jumped from the two-storeyed building of the police post. Kandel was immediately taken to Armed Police Force Trauma Centre, Kurintar, for treatment.  SP Malla said investigation was under way and the truth behind the incident would come out.

Locals protested saying Kandel died due to police assault and not because he fell off the building. They obstructed vehicular movement since 12:00 noon along the highway today. Police said the highway was cleared at 03:00pm following an agreement with the deceased’s relatives at the presence of people’s representatives. Police said police constable Dhakal was held for investigation.