As many as 11 persons including four policemen on duty were injured when clashes flared up among devotees who were pulling the chariot of God Bhairav as part of the Bisket Jatra in Bhaktapur on Monday night. 

The eight-night-night-day jatra, which marks the beginning of the Nepali New Year, began on Monday at around 5pm. 

As soon as the festival began in Taumadi, devotees from the upper and lower quarters of the historical town started pulling the chariot. Traditionally, it’s kind of a tug-of-war between the devotees from the two quarters of the town. 

Clashed started at around 9pm when residents of the lower part of the town managed to pull the chariot back to Taumadi after it had already been pulled to Golmadi in the upper part of the city. 

According to police, clashes continued till past midnight as residents threw stones as each other. Police had to intervene later to disperse the crowd. 

Police then pulled the chariot to the Gaha Hiti area. 

Police personnel who were injured in the clashes are Saroj Khatri, Ambika Lama, Rajan Kumar Khatri and Laxmi Malla.

Injured locals have been identified as Saroj Shilpakar, Sanjeev Madhikarmi, Suraj Thakuri, Suresh Jatuju, Chitij Dhukuwa, Manohar Chauthi and Gokul Suwal. 

Sub-Inspector Khatri has been referred to police hospital. Others are being treated at Bhaktapur Hospital, Deputy Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasai, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Range Office, Bhaktapur, said.