Rajbiraj, September 15:

Unidentified persons torched the private jeep of a former minister and Maoist leader Matrika Prasad Yadav at Mathnakaderi VDC of Saptari district this morning.

Four days ago, driver of Yadav’s jeep (registration number Ja 1 Cha 503), Binod Kumar Yadav alias Vivek, had fled with the vehicle along with Rs 5 lakh and weapons.

Yadav had deposited the cash and weapons at a safe place, but cadres of the Jay Krishna Goit-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMMM-G) torched the vehicle, a military commander of the outfit, Bikas, said. He said that Vivek, earlier a cadre of the JTMM-G, had defected and joined the CPN (Maoist) one-and-a-half years ago. Bikas added that Vivek has joined the JTMM-G fold again. Saptari SP Milan Basnet said it was still not clear who torched the vehicle.

Meanwhile, an armed group abducted engineer Ram Narayan Shah, a native of Phulbariya-3 in Inaruwa.

According to police, Shah, who was heading towards the Kalyanpur bazaar, was accosted and taken away from Lalpatti Tole at 9 am.

Shah, 50, owns a brick factory in Lalpatti.