The aggrieved party has accused the police of opening fire on an unarmed civilian. The police opened fire on 55-year-old Ram Prasad Limbu of Barahakshetra Municipality-3, Sunsari, on May 24, accusing him of being involved in drug trafficking. Limbu sustained an injury to his thigh and has been undergoing treatment at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Ghopa, Dharan on the same day. Dhwajbir Limbu, Ward Member of Barahakshetra Municipality-3, stated that the police violated human rights by opening fire on Ram Prasad Limbu, a carpenter who earns a living through daily wage labor.
SSP Bhim Bahadur Dahal of the Koshi Province Police Office, Biratnagar, stated that based on information about drug smuggling taking place in the Kalindra Community Forest of Barahakshetra Municipality-3, the police team deployed from the Area Police Office, Mahendranagar Chakraghatti, mistakenly opened fire while attempting to arrest the smugglers on May 24. Ward Member Dhwajbir Limbu stated that Ram Prasad Limbu was injured when police opened fire in response to suspicious activity by a group of four to five individuals in the forest area. While police initially claimed that Ram Prasad tried to attack them with a khukuri and had to be shot in self-defense, he asserted that this is not true.
The police faced controversy following the incident’s disclosure. Santosh Okhrabu, a neighbor of the injured Ram Prasad Limbu, accused the police of firing recklessly at civilians in their rush to show progress.