Tansen, July 2 :

The Maoists of Palpa have sent royalist former mayor of Palpa municipality, Dhat-ananda Bhattarai, to labour camp for three years.

Last month, they decided to impose a ban on Bhattarai’s entry into the district for five years saying that he was pro-royal and acted against the spirit of people’s movement aside from being involved in corruption.

Bhattarai came home despite the Maoists’ warning. Thereafter, they issued an arrest warrant against him on June 21 and arrested him the next day. The Maoists announced their verdict of sending him to labour camp for three years in a public hearing held today.

Meanwhile, 14 organisations including those of human rights activists and media organisations in Palpa issued a joint press release, urging the Maoists to review their decision and abide by basic human rights. After hearing the joint press statement, the Maoists reviewed their decision to sentence him and decided to hand him over to those 14 organizations.

But when the organisations refused to take Bhattarai, the Maoists decided to send him to labour camp for three years and asked him to refund Rs 15,000 which he had allegedly taken during his term as mayor.

Bhattarai, in front of thousands of people, confessed his mistakes and promised not to repeat them. Irate people wanted to smear his face black. The deputy head of the Maoists’ Palpa people’s government, Gir Bahadur Thapa ‘Birbal’, said the 14 organizations issued a joint press release in favour of Bhattarai but refused to accept him.