Nepalgunj, January 3:

Three vehicles were vandalised and one person injured during a chakkajam organised by the Nepalgunj-based Bus and Jeep Entrepreneurs’ Committee in Nepalgunj today.

The driver of a vehicle belonging to the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) was seriously injured when some committee members attacked the vehicle on Kohalpur-Attariya section of the Mahendra highway this morning, INSEC said, adding the vehicle had been damaged in the attack.

According to INSEC, the driver, Ramesh Giri, is undergoing treatment at the Kohalpur-based teaching hospital. Giri has sustained injuries on one of his hands and head, hospital sources said.

Protesters also vandalised a bus belonging to Bal Jyoti Residential Secondary School, Kohalpur, school sources said. Another passenger bus was also vandalised for running during the period of Chakkajam, police said.

Traffic here came to a halt following the incident and the passengers trying to leave Nepalgunj were left stranded. There was a minor scuffle between the police and the protesters at Pushpalal Chowk this morning as police tried to stop the crowd from damaging the vehicles. Police arrested four protesters who were later released, District Police Office, Banke, said.

An indefinite chakkajam was called by the committee over a dispute with microbus entrepreneurs that has lasted for the past two months.

Accusng the local administration of not helping to settle the dispute, MD Bhai, member of Bheri zonal Bus and Minibus Entrepreneurs’ Committee, said, “The indefinite chakkajam had to be called to continue our protests after no one heeded to our demands.”

Rights organisations have condemned the attack on INSEC vehicle and demanded action against the guilty.