A person died and at least 24 others were injured when police opened fire at protesters staging demonstration over the rape and murder of a teenage girl in Bhimdutta Municipality, Kanchanpur on Friday.

According to SP Kuber Singh Kadayat, the deceased has been identified as 17-year-old Sunny Khuna of Bhagatpur, Mahendranagar.

Khuna was rushed to Mahakali Zonal Hospital after he sustained bullet but was declared dead on arrival.  Police seized the boy’s body as the demonstrators were taking the corpse to District Administration Office (DAO).

However, the hospital and police refused to comment though the police have taken control of the body.

Among the injured, seven are undergoing treatment at the Seti Zonal Hospital, Dhangadhi while others are receiving treatment at the Mahakali Zonal Hospital, police said.

Police opened fired at the protesters who were demonstrating outside District Administration Office, Kanchanpur, demanding an investigation and action against the guilty involved in the rape and murder of 13-year-old Nirmala Panta.

The Bhimdutta Municipality that remained calm until 1pm this afternoon turned into a virtual battle ground after 2pm.

Meanwhile, the District Administration Office imposed a curfew in Bhimdutta Municipality 4 and 18 from 8 pm today until further notice in view of security concerns after the death of a teenage boy in police firing.   

A meeting of the District Security Committee held this evening made the decision to this effect, Administrative Officer at the DAO Udaya Raj Joshi said.

Locals in Kanchanpur intensified their protests after police presented a mentally challenged person before the media as the main suspect in the murder case. They accused the police administration of presenting the fake suspect to protect the perpetrator.

Body of Nirmala was found in a sugarcane field in Bhimdutta Municipality of Kanchanpur on July 27, a day after she was reported missing. Postmortem report showed the teenager had been raped and strangulated to death.

The situation had calmed down this morning after the government formed a high-level probe committee headed by Joint-secretary Hari Mainali to investigate the rape and murder incident.

After the situation turned violent, the Kanchanpur District Administration Office clamped a curfew from 5pm Thursday to 5am on Friday. As the role of the local administration in handling the case was questioned, the Home Ministry also transferred Kanchanpur Chief District Officer Kumar Bahadur Khadka and SP Dilli Raj Bista, the district police chief.