Beldangi-II and Extension, which remained tensed for a few hours this evening, have turned into normal situation following intervention from Nepal Police and camp-based Armed Police Force (APF), Friday.
“The situation has become normal after we intervened and dispersed the crowd,” APF Inspector Baburam Poudel told Bhutan News Service.
Tension escalated in Beldangi camps when hundreds of exiled Bhutanese picketed the APF office earlier this evening following what was then described as a ‘suicide’ of a ninth grade student of Beldangi-II Extension.
Residents of camp found Tek Bahadur Basnet, 14, of sector D-1, hut number 34 hanging in branch of a tree near by the camp, but in a suspicious condition.
In connection with the murder-suspected suicide, APF arrested 27-year-ol Ajay Sah, a resident of Damak Municipality and owner of a grocery shop where late Basnet was doing a part-time job.
“We have handed over Sah to Damak Police Station for further investigation,” added Inspector Poudel adding,” The dead body has been sent for postmortem.”
Eyewitness said Nepal Police and APF fired dozens of tear gas shells and rounds of blank fires to bring the situation under control. Exiled youths pelted stones at the base camp and even vandalized some shops, including the one owned by the accused Sah, in local Bangey Bazaar.
The exiled Bhutanese have suspected that the boy was killed as spots of blood were noticed in various parts of the body including his legs.
However, Inspector Poudel said it could be just an accusation from the refugee community. “We are yet to investigate if the case was a murder or suicide unless we get the medical report.”
According to informal claims of some relatives of the deceased, Sah had physically assaulted the boy a few days back and even confisticated some of his personal belongings. However, BNS was unable to reach the Basnet family immediately for verification.
Late Basnet was a student of Tri-Ratna Secondary School of Beldangi-II camp.
(With inputs from reporters in Beldangi camps)
