Nuwakot, August 11:

Maoist district committee member Raj Kumar Regmi alias Sandesh, who, along with a group, had looted arms and ammunition from the Fikuri police post in Nuwakot, was today apprehended by the CPN-Maoist.

Another Maoist district committee member Gokarna Neupane ‘Gajendra’ told this daily that the Maoists had managed to catch Sandesh. He, however, did not disclose where Sandesh was caught from or if any others of his group had been caught. Neupane added that the looted arms and ammunition had been recovered.

“We will hold a press conference tomorrow to make public the details and will hand over Sandesh and the weapons to the administration,” he said.

Maoist Nuwakot district in-charge Kumar Dahal ‘Bijay’ issued a release saying Sandesh had acted contrary to the party’s programmes and policies and had been expelled.

Neupane said Sandesh is at present in the custody of Maoist MP Hit Bahadur Tamang, Dahal, and Maoist district secretary Hiranath Khatiwada. The three had gone to Fikuri yesterday to look for the escapees.

Earlier, a report from Nuwakot said the Maoist escapees had revolted against the party and formed their own Janbadi Yuva Samuh. Sandesh had said he resorted to looting weapons from the police post to protest against the growing irresponsibility of the Maoists though they had joined the government.

Speaking over phone from an undisclosed location in the district, Sandesh had said a 21-member committee of the Janbadi Yuba Samuh had been formed under the coordination of Kushal, adding that he himself was a member of the new organisation.

He had demanded that the party leadership declare all slain PLA fighters ‘great martyrs’, their dependents be given jobs, the nation be declared a republic by the constituent assembly, the king’s property be nationalised and an inclusive system be adopted before the CA polls.

Coordinator of the breakaway group Kushal had, on Thursday, disclosed that the Maoists had not surrendered all their weapons. He had said that his group used Maoist weapons to loot the police post, adding that the Maoists were keeping hidden double the number of weapons outside the PLA camps than those locked up in containers.