News broke on Sunday night at 10 p.m. of a clash between two groups in Dewanganj, located 20 kilometers south of Sunsari district headquarters, Inaruwa. According to District Police Office Sunsari spokesperson DSP Chandrabahadur Khadka, a police team from the Area Police Office Dewanganj arrived at the scene within 10 minutes of the incident. Additional teams were then dispatched from the district. In the process of bringing the situation under ‘control’, security personnel used force, resulting in the death of a local resident and injuries to 24 people, including security personnel. How did this incident occur and why did it escalate into a clash? What was the role of the police and administration in this incident? We have attempted to explain in 10 questions and answers.

How did the incident unfold? How did the situation escalate into a clash even after police and later armed police arrived?

On Sunday night, one community was heading towards Captain Ganj Chowk in Dewanganj Rural Municipality–3, playing DJ music and dancing. Some individuals from another community reacted to the loud DJ music. The issue quickly escalated from an exchange of words to a dispute and then to a clash.

Even after a police team from Captain Ganj Police Post arrived at the scene, the dispute did not subside. One of the officers present said that as the dispute escalated, the number of people increased and the situation turned violent. As both groups engaged in the clash, stone-pelting began, during which Police Inspector Rakesh Rai and seven other officers were injured.

To bring the situation under control, police initially used batons and tear gas. After that, police fired warning shots. When the situation could not be controlled, the Armed Police Force fired live rounds. As a result, Om Prakash Mehta, 30, of Dewanganj–4, was killed. From 7 a.m., the District Administration imposed an indefinite curfew.

Why did security personnel have to use force in this incident?

According to police, as the dispute began, some individuals arrived carrying sticks, stones, bamboo, batons, and spears, and the situation turned violent. After the dispute escalated into a clash, police came under attack, and it appears that shots were fired at that time. As security personnel themselves began to be injured, District Police Office Sunsari spokesperson DSP Chandrabahadur Khadka said they followed a stepwise process of using force.

Police’s preliminary report states that after the situation could not be brought under control and the crowd became more aggressive, the Armed Police Force fired live rounds.

Nine hours after the incident, the local administration imposed a curfew. When the curfew also failed to bring the situation under control, from 1 p.m. armored vehicles of the army began patrolling.

Where were those shot hit? Where are they being treated and what is their condition?

According to the District Police Office Sunsari, preliminary police reports indicate that most of the injured who were shot were hit above the waist. According to police, Jayprakash Mehta was shot in the abdomen, Mithlesh Yadav and Mithlesh Mehta in the left hip, Amlesh Mehta in the left shoulder, Amit Kumar Yadav in the left arm and hip, Rabindra Mehta in the left thigh, another Amit Kumar Yadav in the waist, Sunil Kumar Mehta in the left knee, and another Sunil Kumar Mehta in the left elbow. Police have not disclosed which part of Om Prakash Mehta’s body was hit.

The injured are being treated at Neuro Hospital and Birat Nursing Home in Biratnagar. Among them, the condition of Jayprakash Mehta and Rabindra Mehta is critical, most are in moderate condition, and one is in normal condition. Of the 10 injured, 6 were shot above the waist and 3 below the waist, according to District Police Office Sunsari spokesperson DSP Chandrabahadur Khadka. Most of the injured were shot above the knee, according to Dr. Sudip Khaniya, a surgeon at Neuro Hospital Biratnagar. He said the deceased was shot in the abdomen.

What was the situation after the incident?

After the incident, the situation in Dewanganj became extremely tense. Following the clash, some shops, three motorcycles, and other property were set on fire and vandalized.

How long after the incident did this happen?

Even after the curfew was imposed, protests took place in Inaruwa, 20 kilometers from the incident site, and in Laukahi, 9 kilometers away. After 1 p.m., the Nepal Army began patrolling with armored vehicles to bring the situation under control. The administration has further tightened security, urging all sides to exercise restraint, not believe rumors, and maintain social harmony.

Was there any lapse in timely decision-making by security agencies due to vacant leadership positions?

At the time of the incident, the Armed Police Force commander (SP) in Sunsari, Shyam Karki, had been in Kathmandu for about two weeks. He had been called to the Armed Police Force Headquarters for questioning over continued smuggling and thefts in the border area. After the incident, he arrived in Sunsari early Monday morning. As Nepal Police SP Keshav Kumar Thebe of Sunsari was on leave, DSP Chandrabahadur Khadka was acting chief.

After the incident, Police Superintendents Narayan Chimariya and Suman Timilsina from Koshi Province Police Office Biratnagar arrived at the District Police Office to coordinate. Both had previously commanded Sunsari district. At the incident site, DSP Subash Hamal from Area Police Office Itahari led the operation. Similarly, as Koshi Province Police Chief DIG Binod Ghimire was also on leave, the province’s security command was being run by acting officials. According to security analysts, in such situations, there is a possibility of delays in decision-making, coordination, deployment of additional security forces, and crisis management. However, it has not yet been officially confirmed that this was the reason for the use of live ammunition or the resulting death. The Sunsari administration says the conclusion will only be clear after an investigation.

What was the role of police and administration in controlling the situation after the incident?

After the incident, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Army were deployed in large numbers to bring the situation under control. Curfew orders were issued in sensitive areas of Dewanganj and Harinagar, and additional security personnel were sent to the scene. The Nepal Army began patrolling with armored vehicles and security monitoring was intensified. Fifteen hours after the incident, the District Security Committee held an emergency meeting. The meeting formulated a security strategy to prevent further loss of life and property. On Monday afternoon, the administration held an all-party meeting, engaging leaders from both communities and locals in dialogue and efforts to restore peace. The administration has also made public appeals for all sides to exercise restraint, not believe rumors, and maintain social harmony.

Have similar incidents occurred in this area before?

The Dewanganj–Captain Ganj area is known as a communally sensitive area. With an open border with India, there have been minor disputes and occasional clashes between different communities in the past. On 24 Chaitra 2080 (April 6, 2024), a dispute between two groups was also reported here. However, police had not previously had to use live ammunition. Security agencies consider this area high-risk due to cross-border movement, smuggling, and social and communal sensitivities.

What is the administration doing after this incident?

A five-member committee led by Home Ministry Joint Secretary Bhupendra Thapa has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee will submit its report within a week.

To prevent further problems after the incident, the District Administration Office Sunsari has imposed an indefinite curfew in some areas of Dewanganj and Harinagar Rural Municipalities since morning.

The Home Ministry has recalled Chief District Officer (CDO) Basudev Ghimire and the heads of security agencies. Ghimire has been recalled to the Home Ministry and replaced by Sankhuwasabha CDO Ishwori Prasad Aryal.

Similarly, Koshi Province Police Office Chief, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Binod Ghimire, has been transferred to Police Headquarters, Kathmandu, and DIG Shekhar Khanal, currently at Police Headquarters, has been assigned to Koshi Province Police Office.

District Police Office Sunsari Chief, Superintendent of Police (SP) Keshav Thebe, has been assigned to Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa. SP Pushparaj Mall, currently stationed at the airport, will replace him.