Scribes ‘coerced’

Nawalparasi: Maoists have been accused of forcing family members of two journalists — Shreeram Sigdel of Annapurna Post and Hari Narayan Regmi of RSS — to take party membership issued in the names of the two. Maoists visited the houses of Regmi and Sigdel in Nawalparasi. They allegedly handed membership of the All Nepal Kisan Sangh (Revolutionary) to Indira, wife of Regmi, at their house in Pitauli VDC- 2 when he was not at home. On Saturday, a membership issued in Sigdel’s name was allegedly given to Sigdel’s family when he was not at home. Maoist district secretary Akash was not available for comment on the matter. — HNS

Respite from fainting

LEKHNATH: Examination was conducted smoothly in the Laxmi Secondary School on Tuesday as no students fainted. Some students had fainted all of a sudden on Monday. The exam was run smoothly as no student fainted on Tuesday, said headmaster Shree Bhadra Baral, adding though Sukamaya Magar of grade eight had tremor in her body after she went to her house, she was treated at her home. — HNS

Envoy in Sarlahi

Sarlahi: Indian ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said on Tuesday Nepalis should decide the future of Nepal. He was inaugurating the newly constructed building of Janata Secondary School at Gadhaiya VDC. The building was built at a cost of Rs 83,00,000 with Indian aid. —HNS

FM staffers’ demand

BIRATNAGAR: Staffers at Sapta Koshi FM have demanded reinstatement of four staffers who were given pink slips on last Saturday. They made the demand in a memorandum handed over to the FM administration on Tuesday. Chairperson of Working Radio Journalist Association, Sanjeev Regmi, has, among others, demanded early reinstatement of four sacked radio staffers and giving permanent appointment of those who have worked for more than 240 days. Those given pink slips include Suresh Rai, Paras Thapa, Gyani Khadka and Anupam Poudel. Maoist affiliated Trade Union (Morang) has supported the agitation of radio staffers. — HNS

Couple freed

LEKHNATH: Maoists, in the presence of human right activists and journalists, on Tuesday released a couple for looting by posing themselves as Maoists. The freed couple Indra Bahadur Thapa Magar and his wife Laxmi Thapa Magar, was accused of attempting to loot Rs 4800 from the house of an elderly couple in the locality. Locals took control over Magar couple on September 15 and handed them to Maoists. — HNS

Sick infant born

SAPTARI: A baby boy born on Monday in the Odaha VDC of Saptari district has no anus and therefore excretes from the mouth. Born to 30-year-old Lila Devi Chaudhary of ward no 6 of Odaha, the new born baby boy is now hospitalised in the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, for surgery, said baby boy’s father Bandhan Chaudhary. — HNS