Curfew in Letang following death of police constable in a clash

The police personnel was stabbed in the neck as a mob of locals, gathered at a school in Morang where a girl student had accused a teacher of sexual harassment, clashed with police.

Binod Bhandari, The Kalthmandu Post, March 21, 2022, Biratnagar  : The Morang District Administration Office has issued an indefinite curfew order in and around Kherwa of Letang in Morang district beginning 7am on Monday, following a violent clash that took the life of a police constable on Sunday.

Police Constable Urmila Shrestha, who was deployed at Shiksha Bikas Secondary School in Kheruwa on Sunday to arrest a teacher accused of sexually harassing a girl student, was stabbed with a sharp weapon during a clash with an irate mob of locals.

Shrestha succumbed to her injuries.

“An indefinite curfew order has been issued until further notice,” said Chief District Officer Kashiraj Dahal. “Further orders will be issued after reviewing the situation.”

Five people were arrested on Monday morning in connection to the case and investigation is underway, said Dahal.

Dahal, on Sunday, had informed that Shrestha died of stab injuries to her neck with a sharp weapon.

“Constable Shrestha died in a mob attack while trying to arrest the accused,” said Dahal, “She was stabbed in the neck with a sharp object, likely a knife.”

The body of the deceased was brought to Koshi Hospital at 11pm on Sunday. According to a doctor at the emergency ward of the hospital, the deceased had a puncture wound in her neck caused by a sharp weapon.

A 12-year-old student had accused her school teacher of sexual harassment. According to the student, the 56-year-old Social Studies teacher came to her house on Friday, during the festival of Holi, and sexually harassed her.

Following the victim’s complaint, a meeting was called at the school premises between teachers and guardians. The meeting decided that the accused teacher be handed over to the police for further action. The teachers had called the police to the school premises fearing mob violence against the accused.

Local Prashant Niraula, an eyewitness to the clash, said that as the meeting was underway in the presence of police personnel, the locals entered the school premises and attempted to attack the accused by taking him under control. The police, in an effort to take control of the situation, acted to deter the mob when a clash ensued.

Police fired a few shells of tear gas and bullets in the air after the mob turned violent and resorted to vandalism and tried to set vehicles on fire.

Dahal informed that two people, Milan Khadka and Ayush Limbu of Letang-8, were injured in the clash and are receiving treatment at Nobel Teaching Hospital.

“The health condition of both the injured are normal,” Dahal said.

According to Dahal, a total of 28 people including 16 police personnel have sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at various hospitals across the district.