Policemen who saved his life by jumping through a cloud of smoke

Kathmandu – The painting and repair work has begun on the blackened building of the Maharajgunj traffic police station, which was burnt and charred. The local community has taken upon themselves the task of repainting the station, which was destroyed by fire during the Gen-Z  movement. With the locals’ initiative, the police, having bolstered their morale, have returned to duty.

From a small room next to the precinct that’s blackened by fire, the police are still providing service. When I went to take photos on Thursday, some of the officers were coming and going to duty. It was then that I saw Police Havaldar (Constable) Suryabahadur Khadka in civilian clothes.

His face did not look bright. But he was helping the community build the police office. He was helping shift the tattered items from the destroyed canteen. “I’m on leave. But I’m still working,” he told another police friend nearby. As he said this, he smiled faintly. But the face of the other police officer there was also not bright. Actually, Khadka is one of three who, on the second day of the Jan-G movement, survived by jumping from the back side, from the lower storey, when the police station was burning.

Some colleagues who were in the station had gone out on duty. Some were also on duty near the house of Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha. Around 40–45 officers, including Khadka, were on duty inside the station.

On the second day of the protests, the situation worsened further. Though the crowd of protestors surrounded the station, they did not expect that their own office would be set on fire like that. With a view to protecting the lives of detainees, initially they were released. But before they were let go, petrol bombs thrown from outside set vehicles around the station ablaze. Gas cylinders exploded. All the documents were destroyed in the fire. After the fire reached the lower floors, clouds of smoke blocked even visibility to the eyes. Then Khadka and other colleagues climbed to the roof. Seeing no other way to save their lives, they jumped from the back of the building and survived.

“I have four other colleagues who also jumped and are now injured; I am the only one okay. After that, wearing plain clothes, I merged into the crowd and reached home safely,” Khadka said, “Some who jumped were rescued by helicopter of the Army.”

He says that what happened that day was tragic. Now he says, he is going back to work. “There is no more fear. The people themselves have called us back. This office is being rebuilt by the community coming together. Now we will work together with them going forward.” During the Jan-G movement, most police stations were burnt. Some police lost their lives. Some were injured. Not only the Maharajgunj police station, but most police offices in Kathmandu were burnt. At this time, officers have begun to resume work from the burnt stations.