Siraha: An Armed Force Police ASI went berserk today at an SLC exam centre in Siraha and reportedly thrashed journalists, including Rambabu Yadav of The Himalayan Times, who were at the venue to collect news.

ASI Jayram Singh, who was deployed at Pashupati Aadarsha Higher Secondary School, for ongoing SLC exams was spotted collecting additional answer sheets from his juniors with answers written on them. When journalists requested if they could take the photograph of the answer sheets, ASI Singh lost his temper and in a fit of anger seized cameras belonging to THT’s Yadav, Gorkhapatra’s Santosh Subedi and a reporter from Image Television.

The journalists then immediately reported Chief of APF Seema Surakshya Bal, Siraha, SP Indra Bahadur Karki, about the incident. ASI Singh seized the mobile phone set of THT reporter Yadav, who has received injury on his knee. Lahan representative of Rastriya Samachar Samiti, Manilal Biswokarma, has received injury on his right ear.

Kantipur Television’s Raj Kumar Raut and Gorkhapatra’s Subedi were also manhandled by the ASI.

Raut said that ASI Singh had seized cameras and beaten them when they were going to capture the chits that had answers seized by an APF constable from the exam centre.

Siraha chapter of Federation of Nepali Journalists has condemned the incident.

Federation of Nepali Journalists Siraha has demanded stern action against ASI Singh and security for journalists.

SP Karki has pledged to carry out an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, In Rautahat, as many as 17 examinees were expelled from different exam centres for their involvement in unethical practices.

According to Gaur District Police Office, an exam monitoring team expelled 10 students from Dharahari, one from Kathariya and six from Chandranigahapur exam centres.

An invigilator, Man Bahadur Rai, was expelled from Ithung Higher Secondary Ranitar in Panchthar.

Chairman Basu Dhunga at the exam centre said that Rai was expelled as he was found entering the exam centre carrying chits. In Saptari, one invigilator and two office boys were expelled from different exam centres.

The district monitoring committee has expelled invigilator Sumitra Chaudhary from Janata Higher Secondary Siswari for helping students with chits during the exam. Likewise, office boys Rabindra Yadav and Dinesh Yadav were expelled from Mahendra Janata Higher Secondary Kadarwona for their involvement in unethical acts.

source: The Himalayan Times,18 March 2013