Himalayan News Service

Rupandehi, May 7:

Over 30 students and a dozen journalists were hurt today when security forces tried to break up the open poll for mini-referendum being organised for Friday at the Lumbini Commerce Campus at Millan Chowk of Butwal. At 9 am, security forces tried toround up the students taking an opinion poll from people travelling on the highway. Eyewitnesses said in the ensuing clash, several policemen, students and journalists were injured. The security forces crammed the students and journalists into a truck bearing registration number Lu 1 Kha 1773, and took them to the Ilaka police office, Butwal. En route, the police also threw the ballet box on the highway.

The police also rained lathis on journalists sitting on hungerstrike to demand immediate release of detained colleagues. In the attack, journalists Dipendra Kunwar and Jitendra GC were injured. The journalists had asked for an apology from DSP Maya Kumar Shah in connection with the incident. But after their release, when the journalists were having lunch at Saugat hotel, police attacked them once more.