Kathmandu, December 29
Two people have died in the Balkumari protest on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Sujan Raut*, who succumbed to his injuries at KIST Hospital. Additionally, Birendra Shah, who was critically injured during the protest and undergoing treatment at Patan Hospital, has also passed away.
Raut has injuries on his chest, said the Medical Superintendent at KIST Hospital Amish Pathak. Police had said he died due to gun wounds.
Police resorted to firing on protesters after things went out of hand in Balkumari on Friday.
Protestors even set the transport minister’s car on fire by protestors who could not take Employment Permit System (EPS) exam to go to Korea.
The youths protested after the EPS office announced that candidates who had submitted exam forms for the shipbuilding company would be ineligible to apply for exams in other fields. In response, the affected youths took the matter to court, challenging the decision that prevented them from filling out forms for exams in fields beyond shipping.
The court ruled in favour of the youths and mandated their inclusion in examinations for the production and agricultural sectors. The EPS office, in compliance with the court’s decision, extended invitations exclusively to those who had filed a writ. This led to protests from other students who were unable to complete the application process.
To control the demonstration, the police initially deployed tear gas. Subsequently, they resorted to firing, citing an inability to restore balance in the situation.
*Correction: The previous version of the news mentioned Sujan Raut was shot dead. But KIST Hospital has said he has no gunshot wounds. The error is regretted.
