Man Dies in Custody Following Biratnagar Gambling Raid; Another Hurt

A 55-year-old man died on Tuesday hours after being detained during a late-night police raid on an alleged gambling gathering in Biratnagar, while another man broke his leg attempting to escape the building, local police reported.

The deceased was identified as Balram Koirala of Biratnagar Metropolitan City-14. According to reporting by Annapurna Post and Onlinekhabar, Morang District Police personnel raided a house in Sarochiya, Biratnagar-6, at around 11:30 p.m. on Monday. Morang District Police Chief Superintendent of Police Kabit Katwal said a routine patrol unit reached the neighbourhood and entered the premises after noticing several people shouting and attempting to flee.

During the scramble, a 41-year-old man leapt from the second floor of the house, police said, fracturing his right leg. He was taken to Shree Hospital in Biratnagar, where medical staff stated that his condition was stable and out of danger while under police supervision.

Officers detained eight people from the house, including Koirala and the injured man, and seized Rs 48,395 in cash alongside decks of playing cards, according to District Police Office Morang spokesperson Deputy Superintendent of Police Makendra Kumar Mishra.

Accounts differed regarding Koirala’s condition directly following the arrest. Onlinekhabar reported that Koirala sustained minor injuries during the commotion at the house and underwent an initial medical assessment that confirmed his condition was normal before he was placed in a cell overnight. In contrast, Annapurna Post reported that another unidentified person had sustained minor injuries during the stampede and made no mention of an injury or pre-detention medical check for Koirala.

Police said Koirala was found unresponsive inside the detention cell at approximately 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Fellow detainees alerted officers after Koirala did not respond when they attempted to wake him for morning tea. Police transferred him to Koshi Hospital, and when his condition remained critical, he was moved to Nobel Teaching Hospital. Doctors at Nobel pronounced Koirala dead at around 11:00 a.m.

DSP Mishra said Koirala had previously undergone head surgery after a traffic collision. Investigators noted that the precise cause of death remains unconfirmed pending post-mortem results. Police said the remaining six people were being held while inquiries continue, including into the circumstances of Koirala’s death.