‘All four killed, five of seven injured CPN cadres’

Kathmandu, May 27

Nepal Police has said that all the four persons who were killed and at least five of seven others who were injured in multiple bombings yesterday inside Kathmandu valley are cadres of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal.

Police also said it was investigating two persons whose involvement with the CPN was not clear yet. Among the deceased are Prajjwal Shahi, 26, of Bajhang who died in the Ghattekulo blast. Similarly, Gokul Rana Magar of Dang, Nirantar Malla Thakuri of Kalikot and Bhibhuram Thakuri aka Dipendra of Kalikot had died in the Sukedhara blast.

Police have confirmed five of the seven injured as CPN cadres.

Police, however, are yet to ascertain the identity of one person who is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of Om Hospital.

Police are investigating the possible involvement of Jib Kumar Thakur in the CPN.

Thakur is the owner of a hair dressing saloon in Sukedhara where a powerful bomb had gone off killing three persons.

Thakur is undergoing treatment at National Trauma Centre under police surveillance. Police said no relatives had come to see him at the hospital.

Prajjwal Shahi, who died in the Ghattekulo blast, was a leader of the CPN-aligned student wing in the Council for Technical Education and vocational Training. A police source said he was one of the prime wanted cadres of the CPN, who was studying pharmacy at a CTEVT-affiliated college in Kathmandu.

Similarly, Rabin KC of Rukum district, who suffered injuries in the blast that killed Prajjwal, used to be leader of the student wing of CPN at Tri-Chandra College. People residing around the rented house at Ghattekulo told THT that they had barely seen the duo.

Police are yet to unveil the political involvement of the three persons who died in the Sukehdara blast. Surendra Maharjan, who suffered injuries at Sukedhara, has been identified as chairman of the CPN-aligned Newa Mukti Morcha, Kathmandu branch.

Similarly, details of Buddha Lama and Bikram Lama, who suffered injuries when the improvised explosive device they were carrying while riding a motorbike exploded at Chandragiri, are yet to be determined. Police said it was likely that the duo was lying about their real names.

“We have received information that both the CPN cadres arrested from Chandragiri are lying about their identities, including their names,” said Deputy Inspector General Bishwaraj Pokharel, spokesperson of Nepal Police. He also said that the real identities of all those involved in the multiple blasts would be revealed soon.