Six arrested in connection with Gongabu riot

 

Nepal: Police have taken 10 other people into custody, on suspicion of their involvement in the riot.

Police on Wednesday arrested six people in connection with the Gongabu-riot that took place on Monday.

                                         photo: social media

The arrested have been accused of vandalism of police posts and burning down of police vehicles during the protest staged by transport operators.

According to the police, a case has been filed against them at the Kathmandu District Court for a criminal offense. The district court has extended their remand for three days for further investigation.

Other 10 people have also been taken into control on suspicion of their involvement in the riot and are being investigated, police said.

Transport operators on Monday staged a demonstration against the traffic police’s ‘stringent’ rules, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s announcement to not let long and medium route public vehicles park in open spaces other than inside the New Bus Park at Gongabu Kathmandu Nepal.

The demonstration took a violent turn when the agitating protesters set fire to two traffic vans, venting their ire against the police, who they say overcharged fines. They also vandalised a supermarket’s building and looted mobile sets and other goods from there.

Two mobile shops in the Lotse Mall and Kathmandu Super Market were vandalized and looted. Looters had made off with mobile sets worth millions of rupees in the robbery, according to the shop owners. Four individuals were arrested from the New Buspark area, on Tuesday, on suspicion of involvement in the same incident.

The arrests came following a directive from Home Secretary Binod Prakash Singh. Singh had held a meeting with the Additional Inspector General Dibesh Lohani of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office and other concerned authorities, on Tuesday and ordered them to investigate the incident and bring the guilty to book.

Similarly, Prime Minister Dahal, on Wednesday, summoned top officials of national security agencies at his office at Singhadurbar and instructed them to investigate the incident, and take action against the culprit and give justice to the victims.