Charikot, July 31:

The Maoist-called indefinite bandh affected normal life in Charikot today. Transport service, educational institutions, industries and businesses remained shut. The Maoists here have been demanding the release of its cadres arrested for mistreating Dolkha CDO Uddhav Bahadur Thapa.

Charikot was tense today after the armed police and civil police seized a building of the Division of Roads being used by the Young Communist League (YCL) for a year. YCL Kavre chairperson Jwala said: “Due to the Dolakha DAO’s atrocity on the Maoist cadres, the YCL has called a Kavre and Sindhupalchowk bandh tomorrow.” Maoist MPs Devi Khadka, Bhagawati Pradhan and Surya Man Tamang met CDO Uddhav Bahadur Thapa today and urged him to free the arrested Maoist cadres and withdraw the case filed against them.

The MPs returned after Thapa insisted on action against the vandals as per legal provisions.

The Dolkha DAO, on the charge of tarring former DDC president Sundar Prakash Khadka’s face, had filed a public offence case against Maoist leader Bishal Khadka last week.

Thirty-two Maoist cadres were arrested for ‘mistreating’ CDO Thapa while pressing him to withdraw the case filed against Khadka on July 29. Of the 32 arrested, four were found to be innocent and will be freed, while an investigation is on against the others, DSP Haribhakta Prajapati said.

Meanwhile, an all-party meeting held here this evening ended inconclusively. In the meeting participated by representatives from the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, Maoist MPs, CDO and the chief of the police, the Maoists demanded their cadres be released.