Kathmandu. In a scuffle between the locals and police in Bara, three police personnel  and  a 14-year-old youth have been wounded. The incident took place at Kawahigoth of Suvarnapur Rural Municipality when the police tried to prevent the locals from smuggling goods into Nepal from India.

As the police learned about the locals smuggling onions and other goods from India in dozens of motorcycles, they intervened and the confrontation ensued. Currently, India has prohibited onion export to Nepal which has led to the illegal transport of the vegetable into Nepal, Bara Police informed.

‘“The group smuggling onions in motorcycles at the bordering area was taken under control by the police on Wednesday night. A crowd of hundreds of locals gathered and made attack upon the police in retaliation. We had to shoot warning fires to deter them,” told SP Krishna Pangeni, chief of Bara Police.

Ranjan Yadav,14, was shot during the fracas as the police fired in self defense. He is receiving treatment at the Vayodha Hospital in Birgunj. The three injured police personnel are being treated at Kalaiya Hospital.

The locals caused damage to the police motorcycles and other vehicles and the police fired 12 round warning shots in the air as the last resort, according to SP Pangeni.