A curfew has been clamped on the eastern Nepalese town of Birtamod after a protestor was shot dead by police during violent rioting over a dispute on a local lottery result Sunday, according to dpa. Police said Birtamod town in Jhapa district, about 400 kilometres east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, had been placed under indefinite curfew to prevent rioting from "spreading to other areas and to protect lives and property." The people who had bought lottery tickets accused the organizers of drawing up the lottery in secret with police help and awarding to prize to police officers. Police said they opened fired on a mob which attacked them on Sunday morning, resulting in the death of one protestor. At least 15 police officers and six people were injured in rioting. Local reporters said police fired dozens of rounds of tear-gas and live ammunition into the air to disperse the rioting mob. Irate protesters in turn hurled stones and other missile at the police. The protestors blocked traffic along the main highway and shut down the main markets in the town. Local media reports in Kathmandu meanwhile said clashes between police and protestors were still continuing despite curfew orders in certain areas of the town. Government said more police reinforcements were being sent to the area.
