KATHMANDU: A group of looters clashed with locals at Roshi Rural Municipality in Kavre district on Thursday night, leaving four locals injured. The locals were guarding a Buddha Chitta tree–considered sacred by Buddhists. Buddha Chitta seeds are used as beads to make garlands, which have great value in foreign markets.  

At least 15 locals were guarding the Buddha Chitta tree when the looters came to loot the seeds from the tree. The looters had used bomb-like equipment to threaten the attendees. Though the locals informed the police about the incident, it took almost one and a half hours for the police to reach the incident scene.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP), Rabi Kumar Poudel, police reached the incident scene at 12 in the night. “We came to know that the looters are the cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal. We are further investigating the case,” said SP Poudel.

The looters are still on the loose.