Allegations of assault and misconduct have surfaced against the Kathmandu Metropolitan City police by the elected representatives of Budhanilkanth Municipality. The dispute stems from the opening of a slab in a sewer near the seven-story intersection, situated on the border between Kathmandu Metropolitan City-10 and Budhanilkanth Municipality-7.
Navraj Bhattarai, the Ward President of Budhanilkanth Municipality Ward No. 10, revealed that he was subjected to an attack by city police officers when he voiced opposition to the Metropolitan Municipality’s uncoordinated excavation of the Khare River in the Kapan area. Bhattarai reported that he was verbally abused and had his shirt torn during the incident.
Similarly, Rita Dahal, a Ward Member of Budhanilkanth Municipality Ward No. 10, recounted an instance of mistreatment by Kathmandu Metropolitan City police. Dahal claimed that, while requesting coordination with the municipality regarding the jurisdictional issue surrounding the entry into Budhanilkanth, she was struck with a stick by the city police. She further revealed that her clothing was torn due to the police’s inappropriate conduct.
The discord arose when the Kathmandu Metropolitan Police dispatched a bulldozer to dismantle unauthorized structures encroaching upon the river in the shared border region of Kathmandu Metropolitan Municipality-10 and Budhanilkanth Municipality-7. In response, the representatives and residents of Budhanilkanth Municipality-10, Kapan, protested against the unauthorized excavation during the rainy season. They asserted that the Kathmandu Metropolitan Municipality had undertaken the endeavor without prior coordination, inciting fear among the locals.
Tensions escalated during the protest, culminating in an altercation between the Metropolitan Police and Budhanilkanth Municipality-10 residents. Subsequently, Nepal Police intervened, taking control of the situation by securing the keys to the bulldozer belonging to the Kathmandu Metropolitan Municipality. This development was confirmed by SP Kumod Dhungel, the spokesperson for the District Police Complex in Kathmandu.
