3 killed in Saptari clash, Morcha claims 4

RAJBIRAJ — At least three persons were killed in Monday’s Saptari clash between security personnel and cadres of United Democratic Madhesi Front where police opened fire to contain the aggravated cadres of UDMF who were in a bid to foil CPN-UML’s programme that was being held as a part of its Mechi-Mahakali campaign.

The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the deaths, however the Morcha has claimed that four persons were killed in the police firing when the UDMF cadres clashed with security personnel outside the venue of CPN-UML’s mass assembly at Maleth VDC outside Rajbiraj.

According to the security sources, those killed in the incident are Digambar Jha, Sajjan Meheta and Pitambar Mandal and — all from Saptari.

But the UDMF’s Saptari leaders said Ranjan Mehta, Digambar Yadav, Pitambar Mandal and Ananda Morcha lost their life in police firing.

The Home Ministry has said the security persons resorted to firing due to the compulsory state in Saptari on Monday.

Spokesperson at Home Ministry, Bal Krishna Panthi, informed that the incident took place because of the program called by the cadres of the Madhesi front targeting to foil the program organized by the CPN-UML.

“The security persons were working as a fortification between the agitating cadres of the Madhesi front and the UML cadres. The front cadres attacked security persons with stones and petrol bomb,” he added.

“So, they  had to resort to blank firing, rubber firing and finally the gun firing for self defense and control of the violent situation.”

According to him, they have got the details that three cadres of the front were killed in the incident, while eight others were injured with one in critical condition.

Two police personnel of the Nepal Police and 13 of the Armed Police Force were also injured in the incident, he added

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the CPN-UML,in the wake of fatal incident in Saptari, has decided to put off the party’s ongoing Mechi-Mahakali campaign for three days while the UDMF has called an indefinite strike in Saptari.