KOHALPUR, Aug 27: During the violent clash between security forces and Tharuhut agitators at Munuwa, Tikapur of Kalilali district on Monday, the inability of the Armed Police Force (APF) to open fire led to the brutal slayings of Nepal Police personnel, according to injured personnel undergoing treatment at Nepalgunj Medical College.
Even as the mob attacked security personals with khukuris, swords, axes and other household weapons, the APF remained hesitant to open fire, and this led to the deaths of several policemen, said the injured policemen."The irate mob remained unaffected even after we used fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells," recalled Sub-Inspector Man Bahadur Bohora from his hospital bed. "Even when we were compelled to flee towards the nearby paddy fields to save our lives, the APF personnel did not open fire. And we had to watch the brutal murder of Police Inspector Bal Ram Bista, APF Head Constable Lalit Saud and Police Constable Lokendra Chand right in front us."
The APF and Nepal Police were assigned to contain the agitated protestors, Monday. While the APF personnel were better armed, Nepal Police personnels only had rubber bullets, according to reports. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells hoping to bring the situation under control, but in vain.
Bohora added that midway through the clash, SSP Laxman Neupane instructed them to open fire. "But we couldn't do so because we did not have any bullets. APF personnel, however, still received no such instruction from their commander. Seeing how we were helpless, the agitators gained more confidence. We had no choice but to run for our lives," he said, reiterating that loss of life could have been prevented to a large extent if only the APF had opened fire.
According to Bohora, the agitators, after chasing them into the paddy fields, continued to attack them. "By that time, they had already slain SSP Neupane, a police inspector, a head constable and a constable right at the spot. They also chased us into the fields. Among us, three policemen were already badly injured and couldn't run any further. The agitators did not spare them either," he further narrated.
Meanwhile, APF Assistant Constable Surendra Hamal, who is undergoing treatment in Kohalpur, said that they could not open fire as there was no such order given.
However, according to SP Laxman Bahadur Singh, the APF commander on the spot, the situation did not warrent opening fire. Singh, who also sustained an injury in the incident, said the losses might have been greater if they had opened fire. "The mob was too great to be controlled by opening fire on it. Therefore, we were forced to rely only on teargas shells and rubber bullets to defend ourselves," he said.
Seven security personnel and a two-year-old child lost their lives in the incident while 21 police and APF personnel sustained injuries.
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