Rautahat, June 5

Mayor Shekha Shakil Akhtar of Rajpur Municipality was beaten for allegedly not donating to a programme organised on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr in Rautahat.

A group of four youths including Shek Kashim, 20, had beaten the mayor last night while he was in Mahamudiya Mosque to attend prayers on the last day of Ramadan.

The youths had reached the municipality office yesterday afternoon and asked him to help organise the Eid programme.

The mayor told the youths he had to go out as there was an emergency, but would provide charity in the evening.

Mayor Akhtar said the group of youths thrashed him while he was reading namaz in the mosque at night. He said the youths attacked him with a torchlight after he did not give money as he was not carrying the amount with him then. “I was trying to convince the youths that I would give them the money tomorrow, but they attacked me,” he added.

According to DSP Nabin Karki of Rautahat District Police Office, the mayor sustained injury in his head and was sent to a Birgunj-based health facility after primary treatment in Gaur Hospital the same night.

Meanwhile, police have launched a search operation.