Kathmandu, June 18: At the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi, giving a statement of public importance, said that a group of terrorists attacked the police post at Panchkatiya and the striking base located at Dhime VDC Ward No. 1 of Jajarkot district with arms and explosives on June 9.
Stating that the visibility was poor due to incessant rain, the police could not ascertain the position of the terrorists, he said that the police fought bravely and police head constable Gopi Chandra Khadka, Tanka Bahadur Thapa and Jhulanath Acharya sustained injuries at the police post.
Five security personnel died at a distance of about 20 to 25 metres from the police post in the encounter with the terrorists.
During the encounter which lasted for two hours, four terrorist were killed and they had been carried away in a ‘Dokos’ or baskets, according to the local people.
Home Minister Joshi, qouting the local residents, said the terrorists vandalized the police post and brutally killed the two injured police personnel.
He informed the House that four other security personnel , who were invloved in the encounter, were found dead.
When thirty-four armed police officers and jawans reached Jajarkot district police office and were about to return at 7 p.m. on June 10, Police Inspector Navaraj Paudel was killed by the terrorists and his body was found with wounds caused by sharp-edged weapons, the Home Minister said.
The helicopter could not take additional force led by deputy superintendent of police to the site of the incident as a result of heavy rain on June 11, he said, adding that the helicopter could land only at 6 p.m. and airlift five injured persons to Nepalgunj.
As the weather next day was fine, the helicopter was sent again for thorough investigation and 11 corpses, four rifles, a pistol and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the place of incident.
Stating that when a cooker pressure bomb was exploded at the House of Dhanarupa Singh where police were hiding and engaged in the encounter with Maoists, Dhanarupa Singh along with his three year old son and six year old daughter died on the spot, Home Minister Joshi said that the terrorists looted the nearby houses and shops and took away goods and foodgrains.
Twelve police personnel including an inspector and four civilians died in the incident, while four injured police personnel are undergoing treatment, he added.
Mr Joshi said that a team led senior superintendent of police (SSP) Keshav Baral had investigated the incident.
Clarifying the matter related to the inclusion of a minor in the voters list at Rajbiraj Municipality, Home Minister Joshi said that voters list will be prepared in line with the provisions of the voters’ list act and regulations-2052 B.S.
Stating that the provisions of the act had been followed, the Home Minister said that as July 28 was the deadline for filing complaints on the voters’ list, action would be taken if a complaint was lodged with the concerned authority within the stipulated time and if the name of a minor was included, it would be removed.
Home Minister Joshi also informed that he would reply the questions raised by MPs on various issues including law and order within this week.