The driver, Purna Kumar Shrestha, however managed to escape a few minutes after his cab caught fire. He sustained burn injuries to his face, hands and back while the cab was completely destroyed. [break]
The incident happened as the group was enforcing a general shutdown it had called demanding that 27th of Poush [December 11], the birth anniversary of unifier of Nepal King Prithvi Narayan Shah be declared national holiday.
Shrestha, 42, originally from Ramechhap district, said he was unaware about the group´s shutdown call. A group of around six men upon spotting him near Diyalo Foodland at Basundhara sprayed petrol on the taxi and set it afire. Shrestha was inside the cab (Ba 1 Ja 4994) with seat belt fastened. Within a few minutes after the torching, he managed to scramble out.
Photo: Kamal Pariyar
"I had just parked my cab on the side of the road at Basundhara after dropping a passenger at Balaju Buspark. All of sudden the group came and started hurling stones at my taxi. Before I could come out they sprayed petrol on me and the taxi seat, snatched the key, slammed the door shut, set the taxi on fire and ran away. I, however managed to open the door and escape," Shrestha recounted the incident.
Crying for help, he rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire, he said. By that time, police came to his rescue. "I later learnt that a woman had informed the Maharajgunj police about the incident."
Shrestha was initially admitted to TU Teaching Hospital and was later transferred to Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital in Sankhu, which specializes in treating burn injuries.
DSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka, said they are still unable to arrest the arsonists.
Driver undergoing treatment. (Photo: Kamal Pariyar)
Meanwhile, Shiv Shena cadres also vandalized a micro bus (Ba 1 Ja 7834) at Dhumbarahi-4 causing minor damage. Police have arrested Sanjeeb Kumar Bohara, 28, of Biratnagar-6, in connection with the microbus attack.
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