Plea to find Luitel

KATHMANDU: Relatives of student leader Madhusudan Luitel, who is missing since last Thursday, on Wednesday urged civil society, rights activists and media persons to help find him. “We haven’t a clue even as a week has passed since my brother went missing,” Madan Kumar Luitel, Madhusudan’s elder brother told a press conference here. He said the family members are a worried lot. He added that Madhusudan was involved in active politics with his association with the Nepal Students Union (NSU) and that he used to devote most of his time to politics and had no enmity with anyone. — HNS

Graft case filed

KATHMANDU: The CIAA on Wednesday filed a corruption case in the Special Court against a non-gazetted official of the Lalitpur District Administration Office, Arjun Kumar Ghimire, and a legal agent Tuka Nath Dhakal, alias Ramesh. The CIAA charged the duo with issuing fake passports after taking bribe. The anti-graft body had arrested Ghimire some three months on the charge of taking Rs 13,000 as bribe. Meanwhile, the CIAA commissioners and other officials have agreed to provide parts of their salary to flood victims. — HNS

Human rights award

KATHMANDU: Ramrati Devi Ram, 41, of Siraha has been awarded this year’s Prakash Kafle Human Rights Prize for her contribution to uplift Dalit and Chamar communities. CPN-UML leader Amrit Bohara handed over the award to Ram at a function organised by the INSEC on Wednesday. The award carries a purse of Rs 25,000 and a letter of appreciation. Established in the memory of late human rights defender Prakash Kafle, the INSEC grants the award every year. — HNS

Civil service bill

KATHMANDU: A task force of the Parliamentary Administration Reform Committee (ARC) on Wednesday finalised the Civil Service Bill that will replace the defunct Civil Service Act 1992. A member of the committee, MP Sarat Singh Bhandari, said the bill will be presented before the committee on Thursday. — HNS