Tatopani, July 31:

Locals enraged at the killing of Tara Tamang (36), of Tatopani VDC-4, at Liting on the Nepal-China border continued their protest today.

The protesters are demanding that compensation to the family of the dead, treatment be provided to the injured and that the DSP of the Armed Police Force Gyan Prasad Bhurtel, who ordered police personnel to open fire, and Jagat Bahadur Karki, inspector at the Border Police Office, be dismissed.

Tamang was killed and at least 24 injured when APF personnel opened fired on locals, who were protesting against the release of a Chinese vehicle and its driver, who had rammed into two civilians yesterday.

Police fired 40 rounds when locals, after padlocking the Immigration Office, began vandalising the office of the APF yesterday, said DSP Bhurtel.

However, the locals accused police of firing hundreds of rounds of ammunition, raiding a number of houses and attacking them with khukuris, sticks and other weapons.

At least 12 people have gone missing following the police attack, locals said. The Barhabise-Kodari sector of the Araniko highway has remained shut following the incident.

Joint secretary at the Home Ministry Hari Prasad Nepal arrived in Tatopani today for investigating the incident. “With effect from today (Monday), the Home Ministry has suspended APF DSP Gyan Prasad Bhurtel and Jagat Bahadur Karki of the border police, who ordered police personnel to open fire on the agitators,” Nepal said.

Meanwhile, 12 organisations said in a press release today that Tatopani Custom point would be shut unless the matter was resolved.