Police fires warning shots to disperse crowd in Biratnagar

Biratnagar, March 28: Police fired tear gas shells along with warning shots in the air to control the crowd that turned violent in course of staging a protest against the naming of Koshi province. Tear gas shells and warning shots were fired to bring the situation back to normal after the people gathered around Roadshesh Chowk in Biratnagar turned violent during the protest, said police.

A total of 17 rounds of warning shots and 13 rounds of tear gas shells were fired to bring the situation under control, District Police Office Morang spokesperson Ranjan Kumar Dahal said. Six police personnel were injured in the incident while the status of the protestors involved in the scuffle was not immediately known. Hundreds of protestors took to the streets today and vandalized the coffee shop of Big Hotel along the roadway.

Prior to firing the warning shots and tear gas shells, the police fired water cannon at the protestors after they started turning violent. The demonstration was organised by the Province No. 1 Re-naming Joint Struggle Committee. Similar protests were also held in Pathri and Belbari.