Kathmandu, January 24:

Bhutanese security personnel arrested what they said a “Maoist militant” from one of the Jhapa-based refugee camps on charges of “clandestinely” entering Chukha dzongk-hag to survey security deployment in Tala project.

“Shantiram Acharya was apprehended by the Royal Bhutan Army soldiers at the Tashilakha outpost on January 16,” today’s edition of Bhutan’s official kuenselonline.com reported. “Acharya revealed that in January 2006 he and six others were sent for training with the Nepal Maoist militants by the president of the Bhutan Communist Party, Chabilal Kharel,” it said adding that the training was conducted in the forest at Danabari in Ilam district. In January he was sent by Kharel and general secretary Vikalpa Chetri to carry out surveillance of the Tala project.

The online said Acharya also confessed that the December 2, 2006, bomb blast in Phuentsholing was carried out by Bhutan Co-mmunist Party members.