JANAKPURDHAM: The District Police Office, Dhanusha today formed a committee to probe the incident in which policemen baton-charged two persons at Janaki Chok in Janakpurdham.

The five-member committee including an inspector, a sub-inspector, a head constable, and a constable under the command of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Santulal Prasad Jaisawar would probe into the incident.

Spokesperson at the DPO, DSP Rameshwar Karki said the allegation that security personnel had been demanding illicit protection money and bribes from street vendors and local businessmen were just rumors. However, he said the Tourist Police personnel involved in assaulting locals and businesspersons while on duty had been identified and the process was underway to take departmental action against them.

The DPO informed that there was a dispute going on between the local vendors and Tourist Police who were acting on the decision made by a joint meeting of Janaki Temple Management Committee, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Tourist Police, and the metropolis administration to manage the vendors and four-wheeler stalls kept on the premises of the temple in a disorganized way.

Police asserted that the dispute erupted between the tourist police and local youths after a video went viral on social networking sites that security personnel demanded bribe from local traders and thrashed them when they refused to pay the sum. Police further argued that the incident was just manhandling and not a fierce clash. However, a coconut vendor Roshan Chaudhary shared that security personnel demanded bribe and thrashed him when he refused to pay. He said police constable Premshankar Yadav thrashed him.

Locals, in a fit of rage, on Thursday, staged a demonstration after local Sushil Karna was thrashed by police for recording a video where on-duty policemen were beating a child.