Kathmandu, July 13 -- year-old ride-sharing driver, who set himself on fire after city police locked his motorcycle wheel, has ignited a debate over the conduct, authority, and legal jurisdiction of municipal law enforcement.

The incident, which occurred outside the Department of Passports at Tripureshwar, has left the Kathmandu Metropolitan City's police force facing intense public fury, forcing them to largely retreat from the capital's streets.

On Thursday afternoon, Ganesh Nepali was waiting for a client when municipal police officers approached and abruptly clamped a wheel lock on his motorcycle. In a desperate act of protest against what eyewitnesses described as aggressive high-handedness, Nepali poured petrol over his body and s...