Meter usury victim says: Police repressed

KATHMANDU: Meter usury victims and Nepal Police officers clashed.

On Monday, as the victims were demonstrating at Shanti Batika in Ratnapark, a fight broke out between the protestors and the police when they were stopped as they were leaving the Shanti Batika.

According to a victim’s family member, the police detained 30 meter usury victims.

He claimed that, despite their intention to demonstrate peacefully, the chief district officer prevented them from doing so as the protestors’ flag had sticks. He accused the police of repressing the protesters.

He stated that he will continue to protest until his requests are granted, despite the fact that his companion was detained by the police.

The victims of the meter usury, who were protesting by sitting in Shanti Batika, planned to demonstrate today around the Singha Durbar.

Following information of the meter usury victims’ readiness, a large number of police officers were stationed in the Shanti Batika neighborhood this morning.

A scuffle erupted between police and victims of meter usury in Shanti Batika when the district administration instructed them to deploy the police administration, stating that the demonstration on the Singha Durbar would not be tolerated.

The protestors said that the police used water cannons and batons to chase away the meter usury victims.

Several people were injured during the clash. They are being treated at the National Trauma Center.

Although the government reached an agreement with one group of victims on March 31, another group began protesting anew, claiming that the accord did not resolve the victims’ problems.