Abducted Thatikandh RM chair rescued

Surkhet, December 22

Police today rescued Chair of Dailekh’s Thatikandh Rural Municipality Dhir Bahadur Shahi, who was abducted by cadres of the outlawed Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal from Shuvkalika Rural Municipality, Kalikot.

A group of around 16 CPN cadres had kidnapped Chair Shahi and his wife Ila Shahi from their home at Sheripata of Thatikandh-2 last night. The kidnappers had threatened and then released Ila from Guichyakharka jungle, which is two hours’ walk from her home.

DIG Purna Chandra Joshi at Karnali Province Office said the abducted Shahi was found in Shuvkalika Rural Municipality, in the course of a search operation. “Shahi was rescued and preparations were on to send him back home. The kidnappers, however, fled the scene as soon as they saw police personnel,” said DIG Joshi.

Earlier, Shahi’s wife Ila had told Dailekh Police that Chand’s people had kidnapped her husband for political reasons and they had assured they would free him within three days. “When Chand’s men tried to take Shahi, his wife also insisted on going with him and they took both of them,” said DSP Hari Bahadur Oli, quoting Ila. They had threatened Ila and forced her to return from Guichyakharka forest two hours after they were arrested, police said.

DSP Oli said the district police had launched a search operation in collaboration with Province Police Office.

Meanwhile, the Chand group’s Bheri-Karnali Bureau In-charge Rabi today issued a press statement and took responsibility for the abduction. The press statement issued by Rabi reads that Shahi was taken under control for investigation as he was mired in corruption and commission-taking and for spying against the party. Shahi is safe under the party’s control, reads the press statement.