Former DIG Slams State Impotence After Armed Police Attacked During Raid in Birgunj

Birgunj. Former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ramesh Kharel has commented that the attack on the Armed Police Force (APF) team attempting to raid an illegal warehouse in Birgunj, Parsa, demonstrated the helplessness of the state mechanism.

On Monday, a joint team from the Customs Office and the APF attempted to raid the location in Adarshanagar based on information about smuggled goods being hidden there, but they were counter-attacked by local traders and a group of smugglers. Three APF personnel were injured in the violent clash, and two police vehicles were also damaged.

Reacting to this incident, former DIG Kharel criticized that the presence of the government and security apparatus is limited only to paper. He noted that the fact that the state's security forces were beaten while raiding the den of a notorious smuggler confirms the power held by illegal gangs. According to Kharel, the situation where law enforcement agencies themselves are unsafe has rendered the general public feeling zero sense of security.

Kharel alleged that smuggling has been turned into a business in the border areas, and criminals are operating confidently under political patronage. He stated that years of political protection and impunity have led to a situation where the state mechanism fears criminals. He warned that if those who assaulted security personnel are not immediately dealt with strictly, the lives of journalists, traders, and ordinary citizens will be at greater risk tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the District Police Office has arrested four individuals involved in the attack on the APF. Although the police stated that the investigation process has moved forward, Kharel challenged the government to break the network of political patronage, saying that mere formal statements and transfers are not enough.

He demanded that security personnel deployed at the border be given clear orders and adequate resources to demonstrate the rule of law in practice.