Rautahat, August 9

VDC Secretary Welfare Protection Centre and VDC Employees’ Association, Rautahat, submitted stamps of the VDC offices to Local Development Officer Umesh Basnet today to protest the custodial detention of their colleague after a public offence case was filed against him.

VDC secretaries halted work in 84 VDCs of Rautahat for the third consecutive day today. The VDC secretaries said Samanpur VDC accountant Kameswor Sahani was arrested on a bogus charge and an unreasonable public offence case was filed against him.

VDC Employees’ Association Chairman Shambhu Yadav warned they would not resume  work unless Sahani was released unconditionally. Yadav said they were forced to agitate as an innocent staff was arrested.

A week ago, local Ramsakhi Devi Sah was injured when a group of over 100 women rampaged at a meeting held at Sankargudar Higher Secondary School to discuss declaration of Samanpur VDC as an open defecation free zone.

Police had arrested accountant Sahani on the charge of manhandling the woman. He was sent to custody after a public offence case was filed against him. VDC secretaries claimed that Sah’s leg was fractured after she fell down during the rampage.