United Democratic Madhesi Front cadres defied the curfew in Mahottari, which was clamped in after the death of three persons in a clash between police and demonstrators yesterday, continued evening also. Women had led the protests. Security personnel had to open fire in the air and lob tear gas shells as well as baton-charge the demonstrators, who crossed the prohibited area at Shankar Chowk and staged a broom rally. More than two dozen women demonstrators sustained injuries in the clash, said former Mahottari chairman of Federation of Nepali Journalists, Mahottari chapter. Likewise, male demonstrators defied the curfew at Zeromile and demonstrated. Mahottari SP Saurabh Rana said local agitators picketed around half-a-dozen area police offices and warned police to vacate the offices. All the three bodies of yesterday’s police firing have been kept at District hospital Jaleshwor. The agitators have demanded stern action against the guilty, reparation to the families of the deceased, martyr’s status to the deceased and employment opportunity to the families of the victims. Agitators hurled a petrol bomb at a van belonging to APF SP Rabindra Thakur at Bhanuchowk of Janakpur at around 9:00 am today.

However, SP Thakur and the van are said to be safe. According to Dhanusha chief District Officer Kali Prasad Parajuli, the local administration is all set to impose indefinite curfew in the municipal area from Friday 6:00 am as the situation has gone out of control. A clash erupted between cadres of the agitating front and security forces at Janaki Chowk today evening. The former had to lob hundreds of tear gas shells and fire four rounds in the air. Dhanusha SP Ganesh Thapa said that they had to open fire and lob tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators. Meanwhile, the highway area in Lahan of Siraha has been declared a riot-hit zone and a joint security force of Nepal Police and Nepali Army has been deployed in the area. The agitators set a police beat and two trucks on fire. The agitators also pelted stones at various government offices including district administration, the district court and Rashtriya Banijya bank, among others, in Siraha headquarters.