Jaleshwar mayor assaults engineer

KATHMANDU: Jaleshwar Municipality Mayor Suresh Sah Sonar has assaulted Engineer Sanju Gunjan Thakur during a heated dispute over the valuation of CCTV cameras and floodlights.

The incident reportedly occurred around 4 PM on Monday inside the office of Chief Administrative Officer Jay Kumar Sah.

According to multiple municipal staff, Mayor Sonar verbally abused and physically pushed Engineer Thakur during the altercation.

Engineer Thakur has filed a formal complaint with the District Administration Office, alleging that the mayor assaulted him after he refused to approve an inflated valuation for CCTV equipment installed in the municipality. “The actual market value of the CCTV system was only Rs 1 million, but I was pressured to approve an inflated estimate of Rs 1.8 million,” Thakur said. “When I refused, the mayor became aggressive and assaulted me.”

Thakur further claimed that Mayor Sonar had repeatedly issued threats, demanding he approve inflated costs for both CCTV cameras and floodlights.

He added that although the cameras installed in schools were functioning well, those set up in city areas were substandard and had to be replaced by the supplier after initial complaints.

Chief Administrative Officer Sah confirmed the incident, stating that the mayor did indeed assault the engineer inside his office.

Efforts are currently underway to mediate and resolve the dispute between the two officials.

In response, Mayor Sonar denied any physical assault, claiming the disagreement was merely a verbal exchange over payment delays due to unfinished work. “The situation has been exaggerated in the media,” he said.