Jhapa, October 27 :

Maoists have made public the cash that they seized from different gambling places during Tihar from October 20 to October 27 in Jhapa.

In a statement released to local media persons at Jhapa’s Surunga today, the Maoists said they were able to seize a total of Rs 6,97,701 from 22 places including Birtamod, Dhulabari, Damak and Bhadrapur. Half of the money will be confiscated as a fine for indulging in social anomalies and deviations. The rest will be returned to the families of the ‘gamblers,’ the release said.

At a press meet yesterday in Bhadrapur the victims said the money seized by the Maoists on October 22 night amounted to Rs 3,20,000.

However, the Maoists declared only Rs 2,11,186. One Dhanendra Subba of Damak also claimed that the Maoists took away Rs eight lakhs from Damak on October 21 but they declared Rs 1,29,240 only in their press release. “Our attention is drawn to the decisions of different political parties that inspire social anomalies and deviation. Hence, we urge them to re-consider their decisions,” the Maoist press release said.

It also said that directives have been issued to party cadres to correct the wrong approach they followed in Shanishchare and Kumarkhod incidents, expel wrongdoers from all party positions and send them to labour camps, criticise and warn in public concerned party cadres for their role in the Kumarkhod incident, probe the Kakarvitta incident and make it public.

Meanwhile, the seven-party alliance in Jhapa, in a joint press release yesterday, denounced the Maoists’ action adding that they have intruded into private gatherings at a time when people were enjoying the traditional festival Tihar and looted Rs 2 million in the name of controlling social anomalies.