NEPALGUNJ: Cadres of Young Communist League and Tarun Dal — youth wings aligned to Unified CPN-Maoist and Nepali Congress, respectively — clashed in Phattepur of Banke today.

In the ensuing clash, various documents at the Maoists’ office in Kamaiyadanda were set on fire. Eight bicycles were also vandalised.

Krishna Man Shrestha, Banke chairman of the NC, said that the

clash occurred in their bid to free the land seized by the Maoists.

Police, however, arrested a NC cadre, Labaraj Kharel, who was released from abductors’ captivity a few days ago. It was reported that Kharel had sought help from NC cadres to vandalise the Maoists’ office after kn

owing that the Maoists were behind his abduction. Shrestha lamented that the police had detained the victim.

Meanwhile, Maoists’ Banke district secretary, Dambar Bahadur Biswokarma said that NC cadres had vandalised the office as their party was in the government. He also claimed that Kharel’s accusation was baseless.

Raj Kumar Baidawar, DSP in Banke, said that Kharel had been brought to the District Police Office for his security.