COIMMUNAL RIOT

SIRAHA CURFEW TO PREVENT COMMUNAL CLASHES

Kathmandu, 9 Aug.:: The District Administration Office, Siraha has clamped an indefinite curfew in Saarswar VDC in the district from 1 pm on Friday afternoon to prevent further violence and disruption of communal harmony following an incident

of eve-teasing, Ram Babu Yadav reports in The Himalayan Times from Siraha..

Security personnel failed to take situation under control as two groups clashed in Saarswar and at least five houses were set ablaze this morning.

It is learnt that scores of people have been injured in the clashes.

According to police, people of Hindu community set five houses of the members of Muslim community this morning after both the groups disputed over

Monday's incident in which a Hindu girl was reportedly harassed.

Police had lobbed dozens of tear gas shells, and fire bullets in air several times to contain the situation.

'Situation under control'

Nepal Police headquarters in Kathmandu said that the situation is now under control.

As many as 400 security personnel -- 200 each from Nepal Police and Armed Police Force-- have been deployed in the tensed area.

Police said they have detained 17 persons to contain the situation.

Police said they confiscated a loaded pistol from one Ram Prasad Mukhiya's possession.

The seed of communal tension was sowed on August 3 after three Muslim men of Saarswar-1 teased Hindu women from neighbouring Dhanusha district.

On August 6, four persons -- three Hindus and a Muslim -- were injured in a clash, according to police.

To worsening the situation further, a mob of about 4,000 people from the Hindu community tried to enter into the Muslim settlement this morning.

Police resorted to lathi-charge and firing tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

Following the police intervention, about 8,000 barged into the Muslim settlement and set some huts on fire this afternoon.

Subsequently, the DAO imposed the curfew in the VDC.

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