Police intervene sleepless protest against corruption in the Capital

KATHMANDU, JAN 17 -
A group of youths staged a sit-in outside the Metropolitan Police Circle at Tinkune on Thursday after the police disrupted their sleepless movement against corruption in front of the Civil Service Hospital at New Baneshwor.

According to Pratik Raj Pathak, the coordinator of the anti- corruption movement, they had had just begun their 100-hour sleepless programme in the morning when the police arrested them, arguing that they did not have the letter of approval from the Chief District Office (CDO) to stage the protest.

Pathak claimed that the CDO had already granted approval for their gathering and that the office may have forgotten to notify the police.

“It’s not our fault if the CDO fails to write to the police about the programme,” he said.

Inside the police station, Sharada Bhusal, an anti- corruption activist who was with the youths as an advisor, started a fast-unto-death against the police action.

“Until the police apologises and explains our arrest, I will not break the fast,” said Bhusal.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rebati Dhakal, however, said the protesters climbed onto the police vehicle on their own accord and that nobody arrested them. “They can leave the police station whenever they please, but they don’t have the permission to carry on with their protest,” said Dhakal.

Later in the evening, the police pushed the protesters out, by which time

members from Bibekshil Nepali, a network of youths, had gathered in support of

the agitating youths outside the station. A scuffle ensued, but no one was seriously hurt.

The agitating youths have demanded that the government, among others, create a blacklist of corrupt leaders and bureaucrats; file cases against corrupt party leaders, not just bureaucrats; and create an independent committee to probe incidents of corruption with the Commission of Investigation for the Abuse of Authority.

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