Nepal Army disposes hoax object found in Nepalgunj

By Siraj Khan, Nepalgunj, Feb 13: A suspicious object found on Friday morning near the Pedari stream in Khajura, Banke, was detonated and safely disposed of by a bomb disposal team of the Nepali Army.

According to the District Police Office, Banke, a suspicious pressure cooker was discovered early in the morning on the under-construction bridge over the Pedari stream near Khajura Bazaar along the Nepalgunj–Gulariya Postal Road.

"An investigation was launched immediately, and the Nepali Army was informed following the detection of a cooker beside the under-construction bridge. Police reached the scene, cordoned off the area, and halted traffic along the highway," said Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Patali, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Banke.

He said that the cooker might have been placed to create panic among locals and is commonly referred to as a “hoax device.”

The Nepali Army took control of the site, and its bomb disposal team detonated and neutralized the suspicious cooker, DSP Patali added. 

Police said no pamphlets or materials claiming responsibility were found at the scene.

After the device was disposed of, traffic along the Postal Highway was resumed.

Earlier, vehicles operating on the Nepalgunj–Gulariya road had been diverted through alternative routes for several hours.