Nepali authorities on Friday (July 31, 2026) imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of Saptari district bordering India after protests broke out over the recent communal violence in neighbouring Sunsari.

The District Administration Office imposed the curfew in parts of Rajbiraj municipality from 8 a.m. as a precautionary measure after groups of people staged protests in reaction to the communal clashes.

Tensions have persisted in several districts in Nepal since communal clashes erupted in Sunsari over the weekend, prompting authorities to impose curfews, prohibitory orders and step up security deployment.

The latest order brings the number of districts under curfew to four.

Curfew orders are already in force in parts of Sunsari, Dhanusha and Siraha districts, all located in Nepal’s southern Terai region along the Indian border, as authorities struggle to contain tensions that have claimed three lives so far.

One person was killed and more than a dozen people, including security personnel, were injured when police opened fire to disperse clashing groups after a dispute during celebrations by two religious communities on Sunday (July 26, 2026).

The violence broke out after members of the two communities, who were holding separate programmes, clashed over the use of loudspeakers and the display of religious flags. A verbal altercation escalated into violence, prompting security personnel to intervene.

On Thursday (July 30, 2026), violence spread to neighbouring Madhesh province, where a teenager died in the clashes that erupted in Siraha district. One person, who was injured in the Sunsari violence, died in Koshi province, officials said.

Meanwhile, the District Security Committee in the border district of Sarlahi has decided to make it mandatory for people entering Nepal from across the border to carry valid identity documents, Assistant Chief District Officer Hom Prasad Ghimire said.

Appealing for calm and harmony, Prime Minister Balendra Shah, in a televised address to the nation on Thursday (July 30, 2026), said the government would ensure a neutral and transparent investigation into the recent violence and hold those responsible accountable.

In a separate incident, a police constable sustained a bullet injury after being shot by an unidentified assailant in Lahan municipality of Siraha district on Thursday night.

Constable Narad Pariyar was hit in the right thigh and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Biratnagar, police said.

Nepal’s Supreme Court has said that important documents forming part of the country’s judicial history were nearly destroyed in the recent student-led anti-government protests, even as it pledged to resume operations at the earliest.

“We remain steadfast and determined on the path of justice under all circumstances,” Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut said in a statement on Thursday (September 11, 2025).

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“We pledge to resume court operations at the earliest to address citizens’ expectations of justice,” he was quoted as saying by MyRepublica news portal on Saturday (September 13, 2025).

The Chief Justice expressed grief over the damage caused to court buildings owing to arson, stone-pelting, vandalism and looting during the Gen-Z movement that swept across the country. “Important documents integral to Nepal’s judicial history nearly destroyed in the violence,” he said.

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Mr. Raut also expressed sorrow over the deaths of Nepali citizens in the violence and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families, while wishing a speedy recovery to those injured. According to the latest data released by Nepal Police, at least 51 people, including an Indian national, died in the student-led protests that culminated in the fall of the K.P. Sharma Oli government on Tuesday (September 9, 2025).

The agitation, which began on Monday (September 8, 2025) against a government ban on social media, quickly expanded into a larger campaign reflecting public anger over corruption and perceived apathy of the political class.

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The ban on social media was lifted on Monday night (September 8, 2025), but violence continued with protesters torching Parliament, the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s residence, government buildings, political party offices and homes of senior leaders.

Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in on Friday night (September 12, 2025) as Nepal’s first woman Prime Minister to head an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty.

A semblance of normalcy returned to Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) after two days of massive protests that turned violent following the deaths of 19 people, mostly youth, on Monday.

The Nepal Army has taken charge of security, with military personnel deployed across the capital.

The Army is also using loudspeakers, urging citizens to maintain peace and order and refrain from vandalism.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the Army said prohibitory orders are in place until 5 p.m., followed by a curfew from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday.

The Army has stated that only essential service vehicles — ambulances, hearses, fire trucks, and vehicles carrying health professionals or security personnel — will be allowed on the roads during the period of prohibitory orders and curfew

Constitutional and administrative vacuum

Following K.P. Oli’s resignation on Tuesday, triggered by massive Gen Z-led protests demanding an “end to corruption and misgovernance”, Nepal is now facing a constitutional and administrative vacuum.

Tuesday’s protests escalated to a boiling point. Demonstrators torched major state institutions — including the Supreme Court, Parliament, and Singha Durbar, the seat of government. Several other government buildings were also set on fire or vandalised across the country.

Protesters also set ablaze nearly all outlets of Bhat Bhateni Super Store, the country’s largest retail chain, in Kathmandu. They further attacked the homes of prominent politicians, many of whom are now under Army protection.

Leaders seek peaceful solution

After Mr. Oli’s resignation, President Ram Chandra Poudel and Nepal Army Chief Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel separately called on all sides to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful solution through dialogue.

In a national address later on Tuesday, Gen. Sigdel said the Army was calling on all protesting groups to suspend their programmes and come forward for dialogue in order to resolve the crisis peacefully.

President Poudel is currently in consultation with the Army, which is also holding talks with representatives of the protest movement. However, it remains unclear who exactly is representing the protesters in these negotiations.

Nepal Supreme Court halts hearings sine die

The Supreme Court of Nepal suspended all hearings until further notice. In a notice, the Chief Registrar said that all files, documents, and servers were destroyed in Tuesday’s arson attack.

As a result, hearings scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled, and all proceedings from Thursday onward have been suspended indefinitely, the court said.

Army urges foreign nationals to seek assistance

The Nepal Army has advised all foreign nationals who are stranded or require assistance in Nepal to contact nearby security personnel or authorities.

“Hotels, tourism operators, and other organisations hosting foreign nationals are also requested to coordinate and facilitate any rescue or support efforts as needed,” the Army said in a statement.