One person sustained bullet injuries during a protest organised against the alleged rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl in Bardibas on Tuesday.

According to the police, Sanjay Neupane, a local, was injured after the police opened fire to disperse the protesters. The police had also lobbed some 22 shells of tear gas in order to take control of the situation.

The locals took to the streets after the body of the child victim, a resident of Bardibas-14, was found in a sack on Monday night. The child had gone missing since Sunday. Relatives claim that the victim was raped and murdered.

Police have arrested a 25-year-old man in connection to the incident.

“The accused has admitted to having committed the crime,” said DSP Rajan Chapagain of the Area Police Office, Bardibas.

Vehicular movement remains halted along the East-West Highway due to the protests since early morning.

Meanwhile, the locals have also set the house of the accused on fire.

Personnel from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army have been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.