About 500 riot policemen took senior officers hostage in a revolt in western Nepal over ill-treatment and poor food, officials said yesterday.
The policemen seized the riot police camp at Nepalgunj, about 500km west of Kathmandu, on Saturday and were holding seven senior police officials hostage, said Krishna Acharya, a government administrator in the area.
Armed rebel policemen were guarding the camp's entrances and there had been some shooting but no one was injured, Mr Acharya said.
Television clips showed dozens of policemen in camouflage, some holding weapons, standing guard.
Other police surrounded the camp, and the area was cordoned off while negotiations with the rebel officers continued, Mr Acharya said.
The rebel policemen told reporters they were protesting against ill-treatment of lower-ranking officers by their supervisors, low-quality food and other police-force issues.