Locals of Kamalpur, ward 2 of Rajgadh Rural Municipality in Saptari district, have staged a protest on Wednesday by burning tyres in front of the District Police Office, following the death of a local man shot during an anti-smuggling operation.

The protesters allege police brutality, accusing officers of firing at Lalu Yadav, chairman of the local school management committee, who they say was targeted by police in collusion with smugglers.

They have demanded disciplinary action against Police Inspector Birendra Kumar Yadav, who led the police team, and have called for an impartial investigation into the incident.

The incident occurred on Tuesday night when police arrived to stop liquor smuggling near the Nepal-India border. A clash broke out between police and locals, during which police fired three rounds. Yadav, approximately 36 years old, was shot at and later died while receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to his thigh.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Basnet, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Saptari, said the police fired to take the situation under control. He said over 80 cartons of liquor, intended for smuggling into India, were seized during the operation.