DistantNews
🇳🇵 Nepal /Conflict & Security

How a wrong number led to a deadly street clash in Lalitpur

From Kathmandu Post · (1d ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A wrong number phone call escalated into a fatal street clash in Lalitpur, Nepal, resulting in two deaths.
  • The altercation began with insults exchanged over a misdialed number and led to a planned meeting between the involved parties.
  • The dispute quickly turned violent, culminating in a stabbing incident near the Krishna Temple, with police arresting one suspect.

A seemingly minor incident—a wrong number phone call—has tragically resulted in the deaths of two brothers in Lalitpur, Nepal. What began as a simple misdial spiraled into insults, a planned confrontation, and ultimately, fatal knife violence, highlighting the volatile nature of disputes that can erupt over seemingly trivial matters.

He insulted me, and I got angry.

— Sanjeev NepaliExplaining the initial reaction to the caller's insults.

The incident involved Sumit Nembang, who mistakenly dialed Sanjeev Nepali’s number. An exchange of insults over the misdial quickly escalated, with Nepali demanding to know Nembang's location. Nembang stated he was in Mangalbazar, prompting Nepali to arm himself with a weapon and go to meet him.

They agreed to meet there at around 7:30pm.

— Senior Superintendent of Police Hobindra BogatiDescribing the arrangement for the meeting between the two parties.

According to police reports, Nembang arrived with his brother, Srijat, while Nepali came with a friend. The confrontation, which occurred near the Krishna Temple, turned violent almost immediately. Police described the scene as a rapid escalation, with stabbing ensuing after one party produced a knife, followed by a physical clash.

As soon as they arrived, a fight broke out. Stabbing began after one side showed a knife, followed by a physical clash.

— Senior Superintendent of Police Hobindra BogatiDetailing the progression of the violent confrontation.

Witnesses and investigators noted the swiftness of the violence, with the entire episode unfolding within about a minute. The Nembang brothers initially subdued Nepali, but he managed to retaliate by stabbing Sumit Nembang in the neck. Srijat Nembang was also stabbed multiple times while attempting to intervene. Both brothers were rushed to the hospital but were declared dead. Nepali, who was also injured, was arrested shortly after attempting to resist apprehension, with police commending an officer for his role in the arrest. The brutality of the attack, stemming from such a minor dispute, has been noted as unusual by officials.

Everything happened so fast there was no time to intervene.

— An investigatorCommenting on the speed and suddenness of the violence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog