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.”