Madhesi student shot dead during fresh protests

A class 10 Madhesi student was on Sunday shot and killed by police during clashes in southern Nepal, an official said as a fresh round of protest by the Indian-origin Madhesis engulfed the region already crippled by a four-month-long agitation over the new Constitution.

18-year-old Tavrej Alam was shot and killed by the police during a protest by United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) in the districts headquarters Gaur when a crowd of about 1,500 demonstrators started throwing stones and bottles at the police, police said. Alam was rushed to Rautahat District Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, The Himalayan Times reported. He was hit by a bullet while burning a copy of the Constitution Amendment Bill recently tabled at the Parliament. Medical Superintendent Krishna Sha said Alam died due to injuries in kidney and private parts. Witnesses claimed that police personnel had kicked him with boots even after he was hit by the bullet.

However, Nepal’s main opposition party Nepali Congress and the agitating group of Indian-origin Madhesis have agreed to quickly resolve the current political crisis due to the ongoing blockade of key border trade points with India.