RAUTAHAT: Employees of the Gaur Municipality on Saturday announced that they would halt regular works at the municipality for an indefinite period in protest of manhandling of Executive Officer Sunil Yadav.

Some individuals, including Sadbhawana Party district chairman Shekh Jamshed, reportedly manhandled Yadav at his residence on Saturday.

It is learnt that some individuals, including Jamshed and Maoist cadres, had pressured Executive Officer Yadav to release Rs 3 lakh for road upgradation at Sapgadha and for the provision of 10 rings for toilet construction and when Yadav denied, Jamshed manhandled Yadav. Nepal Municipality Employees’ Association unit chairman Binod Paswan alleged that he too was manhandled when he tried to intervene.

Following the incident, a decision was taken to halt regular works until the guilty was punished.

A press statement issued by Paswan stated that all departments, except fire brigade, will remain shut for an indefinite period. They have warned of stern protest the guilty is not punished.

Jamshed, however, claimed that he had reached Yadav’s residence with cadres of some parties after he was tipped-off that Yadav was preparing documents ‘to embezzle development budget’. “When I asked not to misuse the budget, he chided me leading to verbal spat between us”, Jamshed added.