The government on Wednesday has declared five victims of Saptari incident as martyrs.

The five persons were killed after police opened fire at the cadres of then Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), now Sanghiya Gathabandan, who had tried to disrupt the CPN-UML’s Mechi Mahakali Campaign at the Gajendra Narayan Industrial area in Maleth VDC of Sapari on March 6.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi handed over Rs 1 million each to the kin and kith of the victims amid a function organised in Rajbiraj today.

During the programme, Minister Nidhi said that the government had formed a three-member high-level committee under the headship of former Chief Justice of Appellate Court.

He said that the committee would hand over a report within a month.

Sanjan Maheta, Pitambar Mandal and Birendra Mahato of Maleth, Saptari, Ananda Sah of Praswani and Indra Dev Yadav of Madhepura, Jamuni were killed in the police firing.