The Okhaldhunga in-charge of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal and a police constable died in a shootout between the outfit and security personnel in Bhojpur on Wednesday.

According to SP Ramesh Thapa, the Okhaldhunga district in-charge of the splinter Maoist faction, Nir Kumar Rai, and police constable Sanjiv Rai died in the gunfight. The police also recovered one loaded pistol from the deceased. Officials said another police constable was injured during the encounter.

Later on Wednesday, Inspector of General of Nepal Police Sarbendra Khanal informed the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of Parliament about the incident after Nepali Congress lawmakers Dilendra Prasad Badu and Dila Sangraula demanded that the police apprise the committee of the incident.

He said the incident happened on Wednesday morning when cadres of Chand outfit opened fire on the security personnel deployed at a weekly market in Bhojpur-7.

“The police personnel opened fire in retaliation after police constable Sanjiv Rai was hit by a bullet. On that score, Nir Kumar also was struck by a bullet,” said Khanal.

Both the injured were rushed to Bhojpur District Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

According to Khanal, another police constable, Thamannath Bhattarai, has been hit by a bullet in his shoulder.

Earlier on June 20, the Sarlahi in-charge of Chand outfit, Kumar Paudel, was killed in police action in Lalbandi.

Death of Paudel in police firing has come under serious scrutiny after the relatives of Paudel blamed the police of killing him in the name of ‘encounter’.

Lawmakers, including those from the ruling party, have accused the government of extrajudicial killing and have demanded to form a parliamentary probe committee to investigate the incident.

But during a parliamentary meet on Tuesday, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, who has maintained a hard stance against the Chand-led party, reiterated that Paudel was killed in a police encounter.

The Chand party, whose activities have been banned by the government, has unleashed terror among people, in a grim reminder of the days during the Maoist insurgency.

The Maoist offshoot, which had long been accused of indulging in extortion, in recent days has stepped up its activities and moved beyond its “donation drive”. The party was involved in two blasts in the Capital— one outside Ncell office in February and another at a private residence on March. Likewise, on May 26, four people died and three others were injured in two separate explosions in the Capital.

Following the incidents, the government has branded the Chand party a criminal outfit and has launched actions against its members and the party has been in a retaliation mode ever since.