Itahari, October 20:

Maoist cadres mercilessly beat up office secretary Tirtha Ghimire of the Jhumka Chambers of Commerce and Industries (CCI), Sunsari, last night.

Locals staged street protests against the Maoists’ action soon after and also blocked traffic on the Jumka section of Mahendra Highway for 45 minutes this morning.

Later, the Maoists apologised and promised to bear Ghimire’s medical treatment bills.

They also promised to return Rs 4,770 the cadres had snatched away from Ghimire.

The matter was finalised after a meeting of the Maoists with the local representatives of political parties and prominent members of civil society.

The Maoist cadres, who had been staying at the local Sai Baba Oil Centre since one month, took Ghimire under control from the bridge at Chatara canal at around 8:30 pm in the night and tortured him for about an hour, local residents said.

Two female and three male Maoist cadres in combat dress started beating up Ghimire, asking him where his house was.

“They tied up my hands, took me below the Chatara Bridge and beat me up mercilessly even after I kept telling them that I was from Jhumka,” Ghimire said. Some street-side youths also joined in beating him up.

Ghimire, who fainted after the beating, was brought to Itahari for treatment last night.

Prominent members of civil society, local representatives of political parties and the Maoists agreed to hold a dialogue this morning after locals continued chanting slogans against the Maoists last night. The situation in Jhumka Bazaar has normalised after the agreement, a local Pradeep Khanal said.

Commissar of the 2nd battalion of the Maoists’ Mechi Koshi First Division, Ishwor and other cadres who had beaten up Ghimire, apologised in front of locals today.

In-charge of the Maoist temporary camp at Jhumka, Dhanharkha said the Maoist army and peoples’ militia won’t come out of their camps anymore.

In another incident last night, Maoist cadres beat up four local youths - Rajesh Chaudhari, Jeetendra Chaudhari, Rajendra Chaudhari and Sudan Kumar Chaudhari of Bhadgaun Sinuwari VDC of Sunsari. Commissar Ishwor said action will be taken against guilty Maoist cadres.

Meanwhile, outgoing ward chairman of Bhadgaun Sinuwari VDC-5 Pradeep Khanal said the Maoists have intensified their donation collection drive in Sunsari.