Nepal Police removed its security posts from western Tarai’s Madhesi and Tharu majority areas while Armed Police Force removed its highway security posts. The removal comes in the wake of attack on the posts in Tikapur of Kailali district and few other districts in eastern Tarai. 

However, Nepal Police IGP Upendra Kanta Aryal has issued directives to reinstate the police posts that were removed overnight. Speaking with mid western police chiefs at Rajha Airport, Nepalgunj on Thursday, IGP Aryal sought explanation why the posts were removed.

“Where and which police stations have been attacked?” said a police source, quoting IGP Aryal as saying. “Such incidents have not occurred anywhere. This would send negative message in the society, so reinstate the police stations to their original location at earliest,” said Aryal. 

District Police Office in Banke had evacuated few police stations and police beats from various locations on Wednesday (August 26) in view of the critical situation after disgruntled Madhesis and Tharus resorted to protests against the proposed federal structure. 

On August 24, the cadres of Madhesi Morcha had set fire to a police beat located at Tribhuvan Chowk in Nepalgunj. 

District Police Chief SP Basanta Pant said that they had not displaced the police stations. “Only the stations with fewer police personnel were shifted to other stations,” he said. 

According to Mid West Police chief DIG Keshav Adhikari, the idea of shifting police stations was to create a stronger police beat by clustering police at same place.

According to sources, the district security committee conducted a ‘threat analysis’ and decided to shift the police stations. But sources there is not such provisions in Nepal Police’s policy.