Dhangadi, April 17

An unidentified group set ablaze the contact office of Nepali Congress Party at Gulara of Lamkichuha Municipality in Kailali district yesterday night.

The group, with four members, set the office on fire and vandalised it at midnight.

It is said that the group also thrashed the house owner Dabal Bista after he tried to protest against the arson.

A cadre of Nepali Congress Parsuram Chaudhary said that the group had destroyed furniture and burnt the party’s flag at the contact office established for election publicity.

Inspector Nain Singh Saud at Area Police Office, Lamki, said that a police team was deployed to the site after the office was informed about the illegal activities at midnight. Inspector Saud added that the culprits had fled when the police team reached the incident site. Investigation into the case is under way, said police.

Meanwhile, President Bhakta Thapa of Kailali Constituency 2 said that the incident had taken place due to fear of election and a mind-set aimed disrupting the civic polls. “It was a kind of defeated mentality as the incident took place at midnight,” he added.