By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, Sep 17 (IANS) The death toll in the violence triggered in south Nepal after the murder of a powerful local leader rose to four Monday, resulting in closures by his supporters and an indefinite curfew clamped by the administration.
Shops, markets and educational institutions remained closed and roads were deserted a day after unidentified gunmen shot dead Abdul Moit Khan, father-in-law of late controversial minister Mirza Dilshad Beg, who was alleged to be the front man of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Nepal.
Soon after King Gyanendra seized power with the help of the army in 2005, the royal regime had armed Khan to form a vigilante group that began attacks on suspected Maoists.
Though at least 12 people were killed by the vigilantes and rights groups demanded action, no step was taken against Khan, who enjoyed the support of the palace, army and politicians.
Khan’s murder, for which his supporters are blaming the Maoists, caused the volatile plains to erupt in violence that soon started taking a sectarian colour.
Mobs set fire to nearly 100 vehicles, looted shops and attacked over three-dozen houses and hotels. They also attacked Maoist offices in Taulihawa, the district headquarters, and blocked the highway.
The violence spread to Butwal town in neighbouring Rupendehi district where retaliatory attacks resulted in two mosques being torched.
There were indications that the attacks were developing into sectarian violence and the administration imposed curfew in the affected areas in Kapilavastu and Butwal.
An Armed Police Force member, Hasan Puri, who was caught in the melee, was beaten to death along with three more men. While two of the victims were identified Monday as Hiramani Kharel and Dhan Bahadur Thapa, no details were available about the third, said to be a vehicle driver.
Curfew remained in force in parts of Kapilavastu though it was lifted early Monday morning in Butwal. Religious leaders and top political parties called for restraint and said they would lead a goodwill rally in Butwal to ease the situation.
Khan’s supporters, who had called an indefinite closure in Kapilavastu, also shut down Nawalparasi district.
The fresh violence comes with a critical election just 65 days away. A fortnight ago, unidentified miscreants set off three bombs in the capital that killed three and injured 26 people.
The Terai plains in south Nepal have become a hotbed of violence, resulting in the death of nearly 150 people this year.
A group of former Maoists, the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha led by Jwala Singh, has called a two-day Terai shutdown from Sunday to oppose the Nov 22 election and has threatened to start further disruptions.
An ultimatum given by the Maoists to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala also ends Monday.
The rebels, who signed a peace pact and joined the ruling alliance, have warned they would walk out of the government and wage a new revolt if their new demands were not met by Monday.
The major demand of the guerrillas, who fought a 10-year civil war trying to overthrow Nepal’s constitutional monarchy, is to have a special session of parliament abolish monarchy ahead of the election.
Though they had earlier agreed to let the election decide the fate of the king, now they have changed their stand, alleging that royalists were trying to sabotage the polls.