RAUTAHAT: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Ganesh Paudel of Rautahat-4 was allegedly mistreated and smeared with black ink at around 8:15 pm on Thursday while returning to Chandrapur from a public outreach programme in Gadhimai-7 focused on local issues and fertilizer shortages.

Two to three masked individuals approached from behind, pretended to embrace him, poured a black ink-like substance on his back, and fled into a nearby sugarcane field under cover of darkness after local supporters chased them.

Carrying red flags and pamphlets, the attackers identified themselves as “Madheshi Mukti Abhiyan” activists and chanted “Mechi to Mahakali belongs to Madhesh.”

Rautahat District Police were notified immediately and have intensified their search operations.

Preliminary investigations have identified a key suspect, known by the alias “Phagu,” but no arrests have been made so far.