Cadres of Nepal Student Union, student wing of the main opposition Nepali Congress, torched a government vehicle belonging to Chief of Education Department at Pokhara Metropolis.

The Nepal Student Union cadres took the vehicle under control and torched it as part of their programme to restrict government vehicles from plying on the road.

The cadres torched the pick-up van (Ba 1 Jha 5879) in front of Masbar-based Shree Krishna Secondary School in Pokhara-7 while it had gone to pick Education Department Chief Home Prasad Acharya.

It has been learnt that the cadres dragged driver Ichhya Gayak from the vehicle, poured petrol and torched it.

Meanwhile, police have arrested five persons for their alleged involvement in torching the vehicle. A police team deployed from the Ward Police Office, Baidam nabbed them from a lakeside-based hotel.

The arrestees have been identified as former Nepal Student Union president of Pokhara University Rajendra Baral, Parshuram Basnet and Laxmi Prasad Paudel among others.

Police have not disclosed all the names saying they might have arrested some innocent people. Police have also impounded a motorbike and a scooter used to torch the vehicle.

NSU central member Bhanu Dhakal said that though their programme was to impound the government vehicles plying on the road during holiday, some cadres torched the vehicle in a fit of rage.

Saying that the misuse of government vehicles has increased in the recent time, he said the Nepal Student Union started a campaign to control the practice.

Dhakal demanded release of the arrested student leaders and cadres.