Saturday, July 7, 2012

Businessmen shut Lahan for third day

Lahan bazaar of Siraha district remained shut for the third consecutive day on Saturday over the thrashing of three local businessmen by police.

The market, all educational institutions and factories were closed due to the indefinite strike organized at the call of the local businessmen. They have also threatened to obstruct vehicular movement along the Lahan section of the East-West Highway if their demands are not addressed within 24 hours.

The locals have demanded that five plainclothes policemen who on last Wednesday thrashed the three businessmen be suspended immediately.

“We issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the police on Saturday,” said Sunil Kumar Mahato, Siraha chapter president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). “If our demands are not addressed within 24 hours, we will take to the streets. Our agitation will more stringent.”

The local businessmen who were originally demanding only the suspension of the five plainclothes policemen have now put forward another demand: Siraha Police Chief SP Rajesh Kumar Lal Karna also be suspended for using force against peaceful protests on Friday for his failure to initiate talks with the locals.

On Wednesday, Sunil Kumar Sah, the proprietor of Hotel Bishal in Lahan, Bishal Kumar Sah, Siraha district chairman of Builders´ Association and Nirash Chaudhari, former Siraha chapter president of FNCCI were beaten up and arrested by police.

They were released on Thursday after the locals took to the streets protesting the arrests. After being freed, Sunil told Republica that he was thrashed and arrested, along with Nirash and Bishal, when he sought search-warrant from plain-clothes policemen including constables Santosh Kumar Jha, Binod Kumar Yadav and Asarfi Yadav.

However, SP Karna has rejected the allegation that plainclothes police thrashed the locals. “Police had gone to the hotel to search for a criminal. But, the locals instead attacked the police,” Karna said. “The policemen just defended themselves.” 

Source myrepublica

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