Police in Salyan district detained two individuals on Monday after seizing rice, alcohol, and other goods from a vehicle bearing the flag of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), suspecting the items may have been intended for distribution during the election period.
The vehicle was stopped at approximately 9:45 a.m. in Sallibazar, Ward No. 1 of Bangad–Kupinde Municipality, during a routine security check, according to the District Police Office, Salyan.
Police Inspector Devaraj Bhattarai said officers recovered two sacks of rice, 210 bottles of liquor, two cartons of beer, and three cartons of cooking oil from the jeep. The vehicle, registered under Karnali Province with number plate 02-001 Cha 0429, was carrying the party’s flag at the time of inspection.
The driver, 24-year-old Chandra Prakash Budhathoki of Siddhakumakh Rural Municipality–4, and passenger 37-year-old Mohan Bisi of Bangad–Kupinde Municipality–1, were taken into custody for investigation.
In his statement to police, Budhathoki said the goods belonged to Bisi and that he had been instructed to transport them to Khairagar in Ward No. 5 of Bangad–Kupinde Municipality.
Police said the items were seized on suspicion they could have been distributed to influence voters during the election. “We detained them on suspicion that the materials were intended for distribution in connection with the election,” Inspector Bhattarai said.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Salyan unit has not issued an official response regarding the incident. Lalit Kumar Chand, Karnali Province General Secretary of the RSP, is the party’s candidate in Salyan. The investigation is ongoing, police said.
