Family of slain Nepali Congress (NC) activist Rambilas Mahato, who succumbed to bullet injuries in a clash between Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and the NC cadres in Ramnagar Rural Municipality-4 on October 30, received his body following the government’s assurance to address their demands.

The family had earlier refused to receive the body, demanding the authorities to declare the deceased a martyr, to provide compensation to the deceased’s family and treatment expenses to the injured, to arrest the culprits and to control illegal arms in the area.

According to NC district president Nagendra Kumar Raya, the bereaved family received the body on Monday and performed the final rites after the government agreed to address most of their demands.

Rambilas, 55, died and seven others got injured in the violent clash. The NCP activists attacked and injured Ram Naresh Mahato, the deceased’s nephew and ward chairman of Ramnagar-4, the previous day of the clash.  

The NC district committee said the party as well as the bereaved family decided to withdraw their protest programmes as the government pledged to provide Rs 1 million to the deceased’s family, arrest the guilty involved in the incident and provide free of cost treatment to the injured. “Most of our demands have been addressed. But the authority has not declared the victim a martyr. We will announce fresh protest after the Tihar and Chhath festivals if the authorities do not pay heed to our demands,” said Raya.

One more suspect held

Police arrested 55-year-old Ram Binay Sah of Ramnagar-4 for his alleged involvement in the Sarlahi clash on October 30. The security personnel detained Sah from his residence on Monday night. Earlier, police arrested 42-year-old Upendra Raya on the same charge. Search is on to arrest the other perpetrators, said SP Poshraj Pokharel.