BIRATNAGAR: One person was killed and 22 others were injured after a clash between two groups in Kaptanganj, Dewanganj Rural Municipality-3 of Sunsari. The local administration said the incident was linked to a religious dispute.
The confrontation began at around 9:00 pm on Sunday when a group of youths was preparing for the ‘Bolbam’ pilgrimage scheduled for Monday. The group was playing loud music through a DJ while heading towards Kaptanganj Chowk to collect water from the Saptakoshi River for the religious procession.
Another group objected to the loud music, saying it was disturbing residents late at night. An argument between the two sides soon escalated into a physical confrontation before turning into a violent clash between the two communities.
After receiving information about the dispute, a police team from the Kaptanganj Police Station reached the scene and attempted to calm both sides. However, the situation failed to improve. Locals said tensions escalated further after more people from both communities arrived at the site carrying sticks, stones, bamboo poles and other weapons.
Additional security personnel from the Area Police Office Dewanganj, Police Posts Ghuski and Sahebganj, as well as the Armed Police Force, were deployed to control the situation. After security personnel arrived, clashes intensified, with stones being hurled at police from both sides.
At least eight Nepal Police personnel, including Inspector Rakesh Rai of the Area Police Office Dewanganj, were injured in the attack. Rai sustained a head injury and received five stitches.
As the situation became uncontrollable, security personnel fired tear gas and warning shots into the air. According to Armed Police Force DIG Manish Thapa, both Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force fired in the air to disperse the crowd. The Armed Police Force opened fire around 10:45 pm after attacks on security personnel continued.
During the incident, 24-year-old Om Prakash Mehta of Kaptanganj, Dewanganj Rural Municipality-3, sustained a gunshot injury. According to the District Police Office, Sunsari, he was taken to Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar, where doctors declared him dead at around 11:25 pm on Sunday.
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