RAUTAHAT: At a time when Rautahat District Court has been recording the statement of suspended Nepali Congress lawmaker Mohammad Aftab Alam, it has come to light that three of the victims of the infamous Rajpur explosion were treated at a hospital in India. The explosion occurred at the residence of Sheikh Idris, on April 9, 2008.

According to Gauri Shankar Ram, who was also injured in the blast, the injured were treated at Sitamarhi Sadar Hospital in Bihar State of India.

In his statement, Ram said that when he arrived at the residence of Idris, he saw around 16 people in a cowshed from its door that was ajar. Then suddenly, the blast took place leaving many injured at around 6:30 pm. He witnessed the instant death of two or three persons before hearing insistent cries in pain and scream for help, he said and added that particles dispersed due to the explosion inflicted injuries to his ear, neck and chest that started bleeding. Then he ran away about 700 metres in panic before losing consciousness.

In his statement, Ram further said that he found himself in a hospital bed when awake. He said his mother told him that he was brought to the hospital by Badriram, a residence of Jingadiya. He learnt that he had been in a coma for around 20 days. He said he found two others — Naresh Ram and Bikau Ram — injured in the same incident, also receiving treatment at the hospital.

Meanwhile, It has been reported that injured Gauri Shankar and another person — Safi Mohammad — are the only witnesses who survived the explosion.

Role of SP to cover up incident suspicious

A team under the command of the then Police Inspector, Indra Prasad Subedi headed for the onsite inspection was immediately called to the District Police Office while Subedi was handed in transfer letter by the then Superintendent of Police, Laxman Neupane.

Although the incident site was at the distance of one and a half kilometres from the Area Police Office, Neupane ordered another team for the onsite inspection.

Alam is accused of having packed injured persons in sacks, dumping their bodies in a brick kiln fire, and killing them. He was elected to the House of Representatives from Rautahat Constituency No 2 from the Nepali Congress.