Kathmandu, November 21:

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said today that the Maoists are involved in the abduction of journalist Prakash Singh Thakuri, who has been missing from Mahendranagar since July 5.

Earlier, the Maoists had admitted that party cadres had abducted and killed another journalist Birendra Shah.

The report prepared by a team of the FNJ and released today states that cadres of the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) are involved in the abduction.

Tekendra Bhatta, Maoist’s assistant in-charge in Kanchanpur, admitted the YCL’s hand in the abduction.

“The abduction was carried out after the party received information that journalist Thakuri was close to the royal palace and was initiating anti-Maoist activities,” the report quoted Bhatta. A YCL cadre Pomlal Sharma had also admitted that Thakuri’s abduction was ordered by Prem, Seti-Mahakali coordinator of the

CPN (Maoist), and Sharma himself had shown Thakuri’s rented room to other YCL cadres, according to the report.“The Maoists are making the incident more suspicious by denying their involvement in the incident,” the report says.

“The mission team collected information regarding the incident through meetings and

discussions with eyewitnesses, including Thakuri’s wife Janaki, relatives, suspects who are

under police control, media persons, leaders of political parties, chief district officer, police chief and leaders of the Maoist party.”

However, the report is

silent on the whereabouts of the journalist and the team also failed to figure out whether he is alive or not.

Speaking at a press conference, FNJ president Bishnu Nisthuri condemned the incident. He urged the Maoist party to take the responsibility

and make the status of Thakuri public. He said, “It is a serious crime to abduct and keep

secret the whereabouts of a journalist. The culture of impunity should end.”

The mission team comprised FNJ vice-president DR Panta, and FNJ central committee members Ramesh Bista and Purna Basnet. The team

had gone to Mahendranagar

on November 17 for an on-the-spot inspection.