Kathmandu, February 8:

Kathmandu Valley police today rounded up 35 persons in the capital on charges of obstructing the electoral process in different polling booths. Scores of arrests were also made nationwide as police cracked down on protesters trying to disrupt the polling.

In Kathmandu, police said 15 persons were taken into custody at Kalanki for taking out protest rallies. Around 10 persons were arrested in New Baneshwor for taking out an anti-poll rally.

The Bhaktapur police caught six persons in the district. There were no reports of any arrest in Lalitpur, according to the Valley Police Office. Some persons were also arrested in Kamalpokhari and Lainchaur.

Police said two persons were arrested in Kamalpokhari for heckling and trying to beat up a voter near the polling booth.

Though police have put the number of arrests at 35, the student unions are claiming that the figure is higher since the police have also arrested students from their homes.

Joint secretary of the Nepal Students’ Union, Srijana Adhikari said Ramesh Raymajhi, unit president of the Public Administration Campus and Satish Pandey, unit president of Chabahil Multiple Campus were arrested from their respective residences.

Adhikari also said that students took out anti-poll rallies at Kalanki, Samakhusi and Nagal. They also made bonfires of tyres at Koteshwor, Maitidevi and Ratopul.

Meanwhile, a report from Rautahat said that security forces arrested more than two dozen persons from a rally of people staging a protest demonstration organised by the seven-party alliance at the Shahid Chowk of Gaur municipality against the polls. The arrested are being kept at Barah Dal Company of the Royal Nepalese Army at Purenwa.

The security forces also staged a baton-charge against the demonstrators. Secretary of the NC district office, Shree Ram Yadav, and Shyam Sundar Patel of the CPN-UML were seriously injured.

Among those arrested were Nagendra Chaudhari and Raziuddin Alam of CPN-UML, working president of NC Gambhir Prasad Niraula, and Shyam Chandra Jha. Security sources said the arrested would be released by evening after investigation.

Different organisations, including Nepal Students’ Union and Rautahat Bar Association in separate statements demanded action against police constable Mahendra Yadav who allegedly used excessive force during the peaceful demonstration. Detained leaders of the parties too issued statements from jail, urging the release of arrested cadres.

An injured Patel was sent to Sitamarhi of India for treatment, sources said. He has sustained injuries in his left hand and other parts of the body.

Police arrested 20 persons, including leaders of the seven agitating parties, who were urging people to boycott the civic polls, from Biratnagar this morning.

Police arrested Nepali Congress (NC) central member Mahesh Acharya from Teenpaini and NC Morang president Amrit Aryal from Biratnagar Bus Park. Similarly, police arrested NC municipal committee president Kamaksha Parajuli, former president of Tarun Dal Kedar Adhikari, NC district advisor Sudan Bahadur Karki, central member of Nepal Students’ Union Keshav Dulal, Yadu Bista and Mandira Guragai, among others.

According to our Lahan correspondent, police arrested 25 people, including the NC central member Padma Narayan Choudhary, here today. Police detained them from a rally of the seven agitating political parties urging people to boycott the polls. Police arrested nine people from booth no. 1 and 16 others from Padariya. The arrested persons are being kept at the Area Police Office.

In Pokhara, security forces arrested some students from an anti-poll rally. Security forces arrested them from a rally that started from the Prithvi Narayan Campus at the local Taxi chowk.

Those arrested include Kaski district chairman of All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) Dilip Neupane, ANNFSU central secretarial member Hom Bahadur Nepali, ANNFSU PN campus unit chairman Birodh Bikram Gurung, and student leaders Bangadhar Baral, Jagawi Khadka, Padam Pani Poudel. A civilian, Ramesh Adhikari, was also held.

Police arrested three civilians—Shankar Banstola, Dhaka Mohan Parajuli and Bibiek Poudel—from Gairpatan of Pokhara while they were walking on the road.

A report from Birgunj said police arrested nine activists of the seven parties, including NC(D) leader Ram Narayan Kurmi, from an anti-poll rally. Enraged protesters vandalised a microbus the security personnel were using.

A report from Chitwan said security forces baton-charged protesters and also resorted to firing in the air to disperse demonstrators, who had gathered in front of different polling booths to urge people to boycott the polls. The air firing took place in front of the Bharatpur Narayani Secondary School.

According to Govinda Puri, spokesperson and an inspector at the Chitwan District Police Office, police arrested 26 people till this afternoon.

Around half-a-dozen demonstrators were injured in police baton-charge. The police also arrested 23 persons from Narayangarh Bazaar.