Man seriously injured in police assault; probe launched
Sarlahi District Police Chief SP Rabindranath Paudel said initial reports suggest Das may have been under the influence of alcohol and allegedly attempted to manhandle police, leading to the clash.
KATHMANDU: A man in Sarlahi’s Harakthawa has been seriously injured after allegedly being assaulted inside the Area Police Office, prompting an investigation into the incident.
Pheku Das of Dhanakaul Rural Municipality–5 says he was called to the Harakthawa police office along with his wife on Wednesday for questioning after a private school operator, Shining Star Boarding School, filed a complaint over about Rs 13,000 in unpaid fees at the District Administration Office.
Das claims police asked him to sign a document, but he refused, insisting the fees had already been paid. He alleges that a dispute followed and he was taken into a room where a police constable, Ramjeevan Paswan, assaulted him with a bamboo stick and boots, causing serious injuries to his hand, thigh, and back.
He was first treated at Hanumant Hospital in Barahathwa and later referred to Kathmandu’s Trauma Centre due to the severity of his condition.
Police have presented a different account. Area Police Office in-charge, Sub-Inspector Padam Khadka, confirmed a dispute inside the station and said an altercation occurred between Das and the police personnel involved.
Sarlahi District Police Chief SP Rabindranath Paudel said initial reports suggest Das may have been under the influence of alcohol and allegedly attempted to manhandle police, leading to the clash. He added that the accused police constable has been pulled from duty and an investigation is underway.
