Kavrepalanchok. Police have arrested 5 defendants who absconded from Area Police Office, Banepa in connection with arson, vandalism and looting during the Genji agitation. According to the District Police Office, five people who escaped from custody were arrested in connection with the vandalism that took place at the office on September 24.

Five of the 12 people who escaped from custody were arrested, the office said. Information Officer of the District Police Office Deputy Superintendent of Police Rabin Bista shared that Saroj Pode, 28, of Panauti municipality-4, Uttam Bahadur Timalsina, 33, of Panauti municipality-9 and Nara Bahadur Lungeli, 46, of Roshi rural municipality-9 were arrested on the charge of indecent behaviour. Pode was arrested from Panauti Municipality-7, Timilsina from Panauti Municipality-7 and Lungeli from Roshi-9.

Likewise, Prabin Magar, 23, of Jantedhunga Rural Municipality-6 in Khotang and Bhim Bahadur Sunar, 32, of Roshi Rural Municipality-1, who was absconding on the charge of vehicle dismemberment, were arrested.

Police arrested Magar from his house while Sunar was arrested from Banepa Municipality-8. They were arrested on Monday and remanded in custody and further investigation is underway, he said.

Earlier, Kavrepalanchowk police had arrested seven persons involved in the act of arson, vandalism and looting of various government and private buildings and property in the district during the Zenji agitation.

Kavrepalanchowk Police Chief SP Komal Shah said they are searching for the culprits involved in criminal activities acting upon the complaints lodged against those involved in arson and looting in different parts of the district. According to him, a special investigation has been initiated after complaints were received about the damage caused to six private structures in the office.

However, the office has arrested 11 people involved in vandalism, arson and looting of Area Police Office Banepa under it. As many as 18 government and private structures were damaged in Kavrepalanchowk during the demonstration.

Earlier, the police had arrested 53 more prisoners and inmates who had escaped from different prisons in course of the agitation and sent them to the concerned office through the District Prison, Dhulikhel.