Police have arrested three people for assaulting former Chief Minister of Koshi Province and Nepali Congress Koshi Province President, Uddav Thapa.
The assault took place in Thapa’s home district, Jhapa. Among the three arrested, two are identified as Bhakta Bahadur Katwal, 49, from Shiv Shastri Municipality-11, and Prithvi Shrestha, 42, from Kanakai Municipality-3. One of the suspects is a driver from the Electricity Authority.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening at Jamunabari Chowk in Kanakai, Jhapa. The assault happened after Thapa’s vehicle was not given way by another vehicle. The group in the second vehicle, recognizing Thapa as a VIP, attacked him.
Thapa was in a vehicle with the license plate number BA 1 Jha 653, while the group in the vehicle with the plate number BA 1 Jha 1870 assaulted him. Thapa was injured during the incident, with his eye swelling. After receiving minor treatment at Birtamod Hospital, he returned home.
The assault was reportedly triggered after Thapa’s vehicle overtook a vehicle carrying employees from the Electricity Authority. The dispute led to the driver attacking Thapa.
According to Krishna Humagai, the secretary of Nepali Congress Jhapa, the driver became enraged when the PSO (Personal Security Officer) of Thapa’s vehicle asked the driver to give way, and the driver angrily accused Thapa of being a corrupt politician, eventually hitting him in the eye.
