ITAHARI: Police here arrested Kainla Limbu aka Ajay Khambu — central committee member of Kirat Janabadi Workers’ Party (KJWP) led by Nabin Kirati — on the charge of being involved in detonating bomb near the Kathmandu residence of Vice President Parmananda Jha, from Itahari of Sunsari last night.

Police personnel deployed from Itahari Area Police Office arrested Limbu from his rented room in Itahari Municipality -5 at 10:30 pm while he was sleeping.

Police inspector Surendra Sitaula said the police, acting on a tip off that Limbu was staying in the area, managed to apprehend him. Following Limbu’s arrest, other KJWP activists have begun fleeing the area.

Lately, the police have intensified manhunt after the KJWP organised its “guerrilla style” press conferences in Kathmandu and Itahari and also planted bombs near the house of the vice president for two consecutive days.

Police said Limbu had organised a press meet at gunpoint and also displayed sophisticated weapons in Taltalaiya area of Itahari on August 28. The KJWP has been operating its activities in the eastern Nepal for some time. The erstwhile government led by the Maoists had held talks with the outfit.

Meanwhile, the police, citing the order from the higher ups, have not allowed human rights activists and journalists to meet him in detention. “Limbu won’t be made public as investigation is still underway,” a police source said.