Nawalparasi: 19 injured in violent clash (update)

KATHMANDU: Tensions erupted in Palhinandan Municipality-3, Belaspur, in Nawalparasi West on Tuesday after a clash between two groups, leaving 19 people injured, including 15 police officers.

The dispute arose from a romantic relationship between a local youth and a girl from the Muslim community.

During the altercation, a police vehicle (BA 1 Jha 7448) from the Maheshpur Police Station was set on fire, and a scrapyard in front of the girl’s house was also torched.

According to police reports, the argument escalated when the girl’s relatives clashed with the boy’s family.

To control the situation, the police used 5 rounds of tear gas and 3 rounds of warning shots, said Senior Superintendent of Police Gyanendra Prasad Phuyal.

“The situation is now under control. We have deployed a heavy police presence at the scene and are engaging in discussions with both parties to resolve the issue peacefully,” Phuyal added.

The injured are receiving treatment at hospitals in Bhairahawa and Parasi. The area is currently calm, but security forces remain in place.

The altercation stemmed from an earlier incident on Monday, when the girl’s relatives allegedly beat the boy’s younger brother, intensifying the dispute.

Both the boy and girl are reported to be around 20 years old and had been in a romantic relationship without their families’ knowledge.

Despite efforts by both sides to separate the couple, the youth resisted and continued their relationship, leading to the violent clash. Police have detained five individuals suspected of involvement in the incident.