Kathmandu, March 20:

The family of Mahesh Gyawali, an activist of Nepal Students’ Union who was threatened of his life by Tarai Cobra members, today appealed to the government and human rights activists to protect Gyawali’s life.

The cadres of Tarai Cobra, an armed outfit active in the Tarai, had recently threatened Gyawali of his life and demanded Rs one million donation.

The Tarai Cobra had threatened to abduct Gyawali, a permanent resident of Butwal Municipality-11, if he refused to pay the donation.

It may be recalled that a group of Maoists had also intimidated Gyawali in Butwal twice on October 24, 1998, and December 25, 2002, for refusing to join the People’s Liberation Army. The Maoists had abducted Gyawali from Kavre district and held him for three days in 2005.

Issuing a press statement, Kamal Gyawali, the brother of the victim, said the family was under immense psychological pressure due to repeated threats to Mahesh from armed outfits simply because he believed in certain ideology.