Pubdate: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 Source: Himalayan Times, The (Nepal) Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/cvzLserF Copyright: 2009 The Himalayan Times Website: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5107 Author: Ravi Dahal Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/hashish (Hashish) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/Nepal (Nepal) DRUG DEALER KILLED IN POLICE FIRE BIRGUNJ: One person was killed in police gunfire that in a clash between the police and hashish dealers on Thursday night in Mahadevpatti VDC, Parsa. A police team from Suwarnapur Police Office which was mobilised after receiving information that a large amount of hashish was being smuggled in a tractor engaged in a clash with the drug dealers. Asharfi Mahato Kewat, 32, of Janaki Tola VDC who was injured in the gunfire died on the way to hospital, informed police inspector Bhuwaneshwor Shah. Shah claimed that the police team was compelled to open fire in retaliation after the dealers began shooting at them. The tractor used by the dealers is in police custody. In contradiction to the police claim, the locals said that the police killed Mahato in their custody after a disagreement. The locals further claimed that the drug dealers are being protected by the police themselves in return for a hefty bribe and when they fail to pay the requisite amount such incidents were not uncommon. - --- MAP posted-by: Doug