The District Administration Office (DAO) in Kapilvastu re-imposed a curfew in the bordering town of Krishnanagar for an indefinite period from 5pm on Monday. The local administration said the curfew was clamped again, considering the security threat during night time.

The local administration had lifted the curfew from 8am till 5pm. But a meeting of the district security committee decided to re-impose the curfew.

The DAO clamped the curfew on Sunday after tension flared at a market place near the Nepal-India border over the immersion of Durga idols.

The local administration relaxed the curfew earlier on Monday, taking into account movement of people during the Dashain festival. “The curfew was lifted for nine hours in order to facilitate people to buy daily essentials and those who had already bought travel tickets,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Ravi Rawal.

Krishnanagar has remained tense since Friday evening after some people attacked the procession while moving around the Durga idols in the town. The assailants hurled stones from terraces of the houses near a mosque.

The local administration and the disputing groups of the locals reached an agreement on Saturday evening to arrest the assailants involved in the incident. However, the tension flared again on Sunday as the Hindu and Muslim communities were at odds over the route to move around the idols for immersion. The idols were immersed in the Surai stream amid tight security on Sunday evening.

The authorities claimed that life gradually returned to normalcy in Krishnanagar area. Chief District Officer Arjun Prasad Pokharel said the curfew was relaxed as the situation gradually improved.

“The lifting of curfew during day time has eased normal life. But the local people are still in fear,” said Dharm Bir Maurya, a local.  

A large number of security personnel have been mobilised in the area to prevent any untoward incidents. Policemen are guarding local temples and mosques. Most of the shops in Krishnanagar area remained closed even when the curfew was lifted. The local people mostly went to bordering town to buy essentials.