Police open fire in lawyer's protest

Kathmandu, April 13At least 20 lawyers were injured when police fired rubber bullets and baton-charged at a demonstration organised by the Nepal Bar Association in Babar Mahal, Kathmandu, this morning. More than 70 lawyers were rounded up in the incident.

Around 1,000 lawyers including human rights activists took to the street this morning demanding restoration of democracy.Police intervened in the rally; baton charged and fired tear gas to disperse the gathering in Babar Mahal. After clash with police over 70 lawyers were rounded up in police vans. All of them have been taken to the Dashrath Stadium, sources at NBA said.

According to the eyewitnesses, police fired tear gas shells and most of the crowd dispersed. At least four lawyers were injured in police firing while others sustained injuries in baton-charge. The injured are being treated at Model hospital in Kathmandu. Lawyers Ramchandra Simkhada, Bharat Mani Gautam, Tanka Chaulagai and Sitaram Adhikari sustained bullet injuries, NBA source said.

Those arrested were NBA President Shambhu Thapa and General Secretary Madhav Banskota, Sher Bahadur KC, Radheshyam Adhikari, Harihar Dahal, Bhimarjun Aharya, Bhim Bahadur Dhakal, Binod Nepal, Lilamani Poudel, KP Bhandari, Khem Narayan Dhungana, basanta Ram Bhandari, Gita Sangraula, Shantidevi Khanal and Anjita Khanal among others. The rally was organised to support the ongoing agitation of the seven-party alliance.

Meanwhile, NBA called on the lawyers to halt all court activities until the arrested are released.