Bikers chop off man’s arm in Nepal road rage

KATHMANDU - Two bikers, alleged to be drug addicts, chopped off the arm of a public bus driver in southeastern Nepal in full view of passengers in a bout of road rage, accusing him of deliberately blocking their way, Nepal’s official media reported Tuesday.

The bikers, Dipak Limbu and Rajesh Rai, accosted the bus at Tarahara town in Biratnagar city, near the Indian border, Monday and began an altercation with the driver, Raju Shrestha, accusing him of not allowing them to pass him.

The two men then whipped out a dagger and chopped off the driver’s right hand in front of shocked bystanders.

They then jumped up on the motorcycle and fled the scene, ignoring the alarm raised by the passengers.

However, police managed to trace Limbu and arrest him while Rai was absconding.

Police said both the bikers were known drug addicts.

Transporters in south-eastern Nepal have began protests, warning they would call a transport strike if police failed to arrest Rai.

(Sudeshna Sarkar can be contacted at sudeshna.s@ians.in)