Lahan Bazaar in Siraha district remains tense following clashes between protesting local residents and businesspeople Thursday afternoon.

The protesting locals have enforced bandh (shutdown) in the Terai town following clashes with the police when the latter used force to disperse them during a demonstration against the manhandling of some local businessmen by plainclothes policemen last night. The protesters have obstructed vehicular movement on East-West highway.

The locals staged demonstration in the morning to protest the manhandling of Niraj Chaudhary, the owner of Bishal Hotel, along with few other businessmen by a patrolling team of plainclothes policemen last night.

The police allegedly roughed up the hotel owner and few other local guests when a simple inquiry grew into a quarrel. nepalnews.com