Unidentified group torches vehicle night before Chand-led 'bandh'

HETAUDA: An unidentified group set a truck on fire yesterday midnight at Nayagaun of Thaha Municipality-4 along the Tribhuvan Highway in northern Makawanpur.

The unidentified group torched a trailer truck (Na 5 Kha 7411), used to carry heavy equipment, en route to Hetauda from Kathmandu, said the Area Police Office, Palung.

Four to five persons carrying domestic weapons stopped the bus in the forest area located between Palung and Daman, and splashed petrol on the vehicle setting it on fire, informed Makawanpur District Police Office (DPO). The driver, along with three other persons, was forced out of the vehicle before it was torched, said the driver.

The incident occurred the night before a nationwide strike was called by Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal. However, no-one has taken responsibility for the incident.

The fire was brought under control with the help of the fire engine of Thaha Municipality. Front part of the vehicle was completely burnt.

Similarly, a truck (Na 6 Kha 7369) en route to Hetauda from Chitwan was attacked with stones at Bastipur, Hetauda-19. According to Makawanpur DPO Spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police Yagya Prasad Bhattarai, the truck was suddenly attacked with stones between 4:00 am and 5:00 am shattering the front glass of the vehicle, which caused minor injury to the driver's forehead. DSP Bhattarai added that the driver returned home post treatment.

Likewise, a suspicious object was found at the gate of Hetauda Industrial Estate in Hetauda-9, today morning. It is assumed that Chand-led CPN placed the object which could be an explosive. A team of Nepal Army and Nepal Police reached the site to take necessary measures.

Moreover, the municipal level examinations of grades 4,5,6,7 and 9 set for today in Makawanpur has been postponed to Saturday due to the strike, said municipal level education coordination committee.