Life in various district have been hit hard by the Nepal bandh called by NC-affiliated Nepal Student Union (NSU) against the death of Tarun Dal Chitwan chairperson Shiva Paudel. Poudel who was critically injured in Chitwan Prison attack on Dec 6 succumbed to his injuries at the Neuro Hospital in the Capital on December 17 at 3 in the morning.

Poudel, who was receiving treatment at the Bharatpur Medical College , was flown to Kathmandu for further treatment after the treatment in Bharatpur failed to improve his health condition.

Condemning the death of Poudel , NC cadres took to the streets in the capital burning tyres and obstructing transportation.

The Home Ministry had suspended eight persons including acting Chief District Officer of Chitwan Nandi Kishor Tripathi, Chitwan Police Chief Khilu Acharya, among others, over the district prison clash.

The general strike, called today by Tarun Dal and Nepal Students Union (NSU), sister wings of Nepali Congress (NC), was called off after the NC requested to withdraw the strike citing that the party had not authenticated the decision.

The Central Working Committee meeting held at party President Sushil Koirala's residence this morning formed a five-member probe committee under the coordination of party General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula. The committee includes Krishna Chandra Nepali, Bal Krishna Khand, Chandra Bhandari and Shanker Bhandari.

Meanwhile, Tarun Dal activists have shut down Chitwan since early morning, blaming the government and police administration for Poudel’s death. They demanded that the guilty be arrested at the earliest, the dead be declared a martyr and the victim’s family be given compensation. The protestors vandalized a truck (Na1kha 7932), a tractor (Na3Cha 731) at Tandi and broke glasses at the Bharatpur airport.

The bandh enforcers vandalized one tourist vehicle, four microbuses in Kaski while window panes of one taxi and one truck were smashed in Parbat. A truck and a car were vandalized in Banke whereas three petrol tankers were vandalized at Biratnagar submetropolis-14.

Vehicles stayed off the road due to bandh in Rupandehi, Baglung, Palpa, Syanja, Kapilbastu, Tanahun, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Rolpa, Dang, Makwanpur, Dhankuta, Bara districts. Markets, industries, schools also remained closed.