(Update IV with name of dead policeman, 1903 NST, 1318 GMT)
CHITWAN, March 6: Protestors in Chitwan district killed a policeman by attacking him with a khukuri (machete), Friday afternoon, according to Chief District Officer Ratna Raj Pandey. The dead cop has been identified as Kumar Budhathoki, an Armed Police Force member of Gadhimai Gadh Bhandara. The protests in Chitwan by Tharus -- who are objecting to being bracketed as Madhesis -- are going on despite curfew orders.
This brings the number of dead in the protests that began three days ago to three. About 40 people -- half of them policemen -- have been injured. [break]
The protestors snatched the helmet of a few policemen and hacked one of them to death, while leaving another cop seriously injured, said CDO Pandey.
Indefinite curfew imposed to contain violent protests in Birgun...
Earlier, two people were killed and at least 36 injured in clashes between police and Tharau protesters in Chitwan Thursday night when police opened fire to disperse the protestors who had blocked the East-West Highway.
Kamal Chaudhari, 19, of Bachhyauli village in east Chitwan succumbed to his bullet wound in a hospital in the district at 3 a.m. Friday. He was hit with a bullet when the police fired bullets to disperse the protestors who had seized the East-West Highway on Thursday night.
Another protestor, Bipin Khadka of Shaktikhor-5, died on Friday while being taken to the capital for treatment.
Concluding that the situation was getting out of control, the district administration clamped a curfew in Ratnanagar Municipality in east Chitwan since 10 a.m. Friday.
Although the police managed to free up the highway at 10 p.m. Thursday, the protestors have seized the highway at Tandi, Sauraha Chowk and Bakulahar in east Chitwan since early Friday morning. Market and schools have remained shut due to the protest. No vehicles are plying in these areas.
Demonstrators are staging protests in eastern Chitwan, despite curfew, by burning tires. They intensified the protest after reports of deaths.
The Tharu community in Tadi in Chitwan had called banda (general shutdown) for the last three days and had blocked the highway against a cabinet decision of identifying them as one of the Madhesi groups.
Police said they fired tear gas shells and resorted to firing to remove the protestors who had blocked the highway forcing hundreds of passengers to remain stranded.
According to Kari Mahato, president of Tharu Students´ Society, Chitwan branch, the Tharu demonstrators were injured in Tandi, Sauraha Chowk and Bakulahar in the police firing. Most of the injured have been hit on their head or chest. He said the police have arrested dozens of protestors.
Three of injured are being treated in Bharatpur Medical College and the rest in Bharatpur Hospital. Police claimed that some of the protestors who clashed with them had brought weapons.
