A 36-year-old woman was killed and three dozen others were injured when police opened fire to control an angry crowd at Tatopani in Sindhupalchok district, to the east of capital, Kathmandu, on Sunday.
Police said they had to open fire as the crowd tried to enter the periphery of local post of Armed Police Force and vandalized its sign board. Local people have, however, alleged that police resorted to use of force unnecessarily.
Local people were protesting against what they call collusion of police in freeing a Chinese national who was arrested for hitting two local people, Kaji Tamang, and Khadga Bahadur Shrestha, with the Chinese government-owned Pajero vehicle he was driving, on Friday.
Police said they released the Chinese citizen after he agreed to pay Rs 200,000.00 each to the injured Nepalis. They say local trade union members were also involved in the negotiations.
But local people have alleged that police freed the vehicle and its driver after taking a huge sum as bribe. Police deny these allegations.