Armed police fired more than hundred rounds of real bullets as the bloodiest people-police clash at Gongabu injured more than 130, some of whom are serious

Gongabu was as of yesterdays tense. The scuffle between people and police was going on.

During one of the chasing, two of the demonstrators entered a house. They didn’t know who owned the house. When they were inside, the house keepers set a dog free and tried to beat the demonstrators. The two came out and told the others what happened inside.

The house became the target for all the demonstrators. They stoned and broke windows, made fire just outside the main gate and vandalized the decorations at the gate.

All of the sudden, sounds of firing were heard. The photographers captured a hand with a pistol on the window while television camera recorded the sound of shots. After four rounds of fire into the mass, the hand disappeared. Demonstrators were injured (number unknown).

Then the house was targeted more. Reinforcement in form of armed police force and army arrived. Army and APF took positions as if they were in war. Some fo the army told the reporters that Maoists are firing from the house. APF’s SSP Madhav Thapa assured the demonstrators that he would bring out the gun-holder if they step back.

The demonstrators stepped back but the APF when brought out the man tried to save him. They got aggressive and the clash went much tenser that anticipated.

The APF fired hundreds of bullets on the demonstrators. A lot of them fell to ground, some of whom were taken for treatment by police themselves while media persons were also involved in the rescue works. Some of the media persons said they were lucky not to be hit by bullets.

It was a war zone in the afternoon.

By the way the house from where the man fired bullets turned out to be of police officer and the gunner was probably one of the guards.

The media person predicted a few would die due to injuries.

Written by Ujjwal Acharya based on interpretation by various reporters and photojournalists