BIRATNAGAR: A 22-year-old youth named Amlesh Mehta was shot and collapsed shortly after stepping out of his home during a sudden commotion in Ward 3 of Dewanganj Rural Municipality, Sunsari, on Sunday (July 26).

According to family members, Amlesh Mehta had just finished dinner at around 7:00 PM and was preparing for bed when noise erupted near the village Shiva temple. Upon stepping outside to investigate, he was shot and fell to the ground in less than 5 minutes after leaving his house.

Undergoing treatment in Bed No. 2 of the General Surgery Ward at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar, Amlesh has bullet wounds on his back and neck. “I had eaten dinner and was about to sleep. At that moment, the power went out. After hearing people shouting outside, I went toward the temple to see what had happened” Amlesh recalls the night’s incident from his hospital bed. “When I reached the temple, the police were firing shots. I panicked and tried to run away. It hadn’t even been 5 minutes since I left my house when suddenly I was shot and collapsed right there.”

Amlesh, who has passed Grade 12, is the youngest son of Janak Lal and Shanti Devi. He had not even imagined that such a violent incident would occur in a settlement preparing to fetch holy water.

In Bed No. 6 of the same ward, Hareram Yadav, also from Dewanganj-3, is undergoing treatment for a bullet wound on his left thigh. His religious vow to fetch water from the Saptakoshi and offer it to God has come to a halt in his hospital bed.

Amlesh Mehta (22) of Dewanganj-3 undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital, Biratnagar, after suffering gunshot injuries

“At around 10:00 PM, we were preparing to go fetch water when I learned about a dispute over placing a flag at the temple,” Yadav said. “When I reached the spot, tires were burning. The police first fired into the air twice and then fired directly.”

The dispute that started between two groups over placing a flag at the temple in Kaptanganj Market for the celebration the next day took a violent turn on Sunday night. Mithilesh Mehta, a Grade 10 student from Dewanganj, was also hit by bullets fired by security personnel who arrived to bring the situation under control.

Dilip Mehta, the father of Mithilesh who is staying at the hospital as a caregiver for his son’s treatment, is outraged by the police’s working style.

“There was a dispute over a simple matter of placing a flag. There was no situation where the police had to fire shots right at the beginning,” Dilip says. “Neither was a baton charge carried out, nor was sufficient restraint exercised. When they fired directly, my son was hit. This is a major failure of the police.”

Hareram Yadav of Dewanganj-3 undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital after suffering gunshot injuries

One dead, 22 injured

Sunday night’s clash left Kaptanganj Market tense. 24-year-old Omprakash Mehta died after being hit by a bullet fired by security personnel. Critically injured, he was declared dead by doctors immediately after being brought to the hospital at 11:25 PM at night.

According to police data, 22 people, including nine civilians and 13 security personnel, were injured in the clash. The nine injured civilians have bullet wounds on various parts of their bodies.

The bullet that struck the abdomen of Jayaprakash Mehta, who is undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar, has been extracted through surgery. Mithilesh Mehta, who is undergoing treatment at the same hospital, has a bullet wound on the left side of his abdomen, Hareram Yadav on his left thigh, and Amlesh Mehta on his back and neck.

Surgeon Dr Sudip Khaniya of Neuro Hospital states that a bullet was extracted from the body of one injured person through surgery. “Looking at the injuries of other wounded individuals undergoing treatment here, they also appear to be from bullets,” Dr Khaniya says. “It will become clearer once the detailed test reports arrive.”

Demonstration carried out by an angry mob

Ravindra Mehta, undergoing treatment at Birat Nursing Home, has been placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because he was shot in the left thigh. Amit Kumar Yadav, undergoing treatment at the same hospital, has a bullet injury below his waist, Sunil Kumar Mehta on his left arm, and Sunil Mehta on his left calf.

Another injured person, Amit Yadav, who was shot in the abdomen and left hand, is receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Nobel Hospital.

Dispute started over DJ music

The dispute between the two parties began at around 9:00 PM on Sunday night over a group preparing to leave for the Bol Bam pilgrimage on Monday playing loud DJ music.

The dispute, which started from a minor argument, escalated within a short time. Police reported that batons, stones, and spears were hurled from both sides. The Kaptanganj Market area became tense after the mob vandalized local houses, medical shops, and vehicles and attempted arson.

Those injured by gunfire undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar

To bring the situation under control, police initially fired tear gas shells and shot into the air. Police stated that when the mob turned against the security personnel themselves, the Armed Police Force (APF) fired live rounds.

Sunsari Police spokesperson DSP Chandra Khadka states that the Nepal Police fired 3 rounds and the Armed Police Force (APF) fired 22 rounds into the air.

Inspector Rakesh Rai of the Area Police Office, Dewanganj, suffered a severe head injury in the clash.

All-party appeal to preserve social harmony

Regarding the situation arising after the incident, an all-party meeting held in Inaruwa on Monday appealed to all sides to exercise restraint and maintain law, order, and social harmony.

In the meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief District Officer Basudev Ghimire at the initiative of the District Administration Office, Sunsari, an agreement was reached for all parties to present themselves responsibly and with restraint to prevent the situation from becoming more complicated.

Army deployed after curfew violation in Kaptanganj, Dewanganj-3, Sunsari

Birendra Mehta, secretary of the Nepali Congress Sunsari District, who attended the meeting, states that a decision was also made to provide necessary cooperation to the 5-member committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs for an impartial investigation into the incident. “An agreement has been reached for all parties to cooperate in the investigation process to bring the reality of the incident to light and to make joint efforts to maintain peace and social harmony at the local level,” Mehta says.

Heads of security agencies, elected representatives, political parties, and representatives of various stakeholder bodies attended the meeting organized to normalize the district’s situation. The Ministry of Home Affairs formed a 5-member committee on Monday to conduct a factual investigation into the Dewanganj incident.