Kathmandu, April 30:

Police today handed over a jeep used by Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army at Mahabouddha to the United Nations’ Mission in Nepal. The jeep, instead of a government-issued registration number, had ‘Third Division-4’ written on it.

Police termed the jeep handover a “temporary solution to a long-standing problem.”

Traffic police had stopped the vehicle without registration number at Mahabouddha.

Abiral, office-secretary of the CPN (Maoist) office at Bijulibazaar, told reporters that the vehicle was operating with the consent of the UN. Police then called up the UNMIN office.

The vehicle had ‘Kalyan Anis Memorial Brigade, Chitwan,’ written on its body, police said. “A dispute ensued when traffic police asked the driver to produce the document to prove that the vehicle was operating with the UN consent,” the police said.

Abiral, police and UN representatives sat for talks. “Finally, we agreed to hand over the

vehicle to the UN. The UN assured us that it will ask the party concerned to register the vehicle with the authority concerned,” Basudeve Pathak, an inspector at the Metropolitan Police Section, said.

Abiral said they have six vehicles at the brigade.

“The vehicle entered the valley three days ago. We were using it without any hindrance earlier. It became a huge issue today,” he said, adding that the jeep was carrying clothes meant for Maoist militants in Chitwan.

Last night, police handed over another jeep bearing registration number Ba 1 Cha 7951 to its owner, Birendra Maharajan. A Maoist leader, Bibidh, was using the Land Cruiser that was “stolen” from Maharjan eight months ago, police said.

We seized the vehicle in Satdobato and handed it over to Maharjan after he produced documents which proved that the vehicle belonged to him, police said.