Kathmandu, February 23

Singha Prasad Gurung, 49, one of the three persons injured in the improvised explosive device explosion at the entrance of Ncell office in Nakkhu, Lalitpur, last night, succumbed to injuries at Mediciti hospital this morning.

Gurung, who lost his leg and suffered multiple injuries, died at around 1:00 am, according to a hospital source.

Gurung was rushed to Alka Hospital in Patan from where he was referred to B&B hospital. At around 11:00 pm, Gurung was shifted to Mediciti Hospital.

Gurung, an ex-Singaporean police officer, was shopping near Global IME bank when the IED went off at around 8:00pm. He was supposed to participate in a picnic organised by the Gurung clan today. Gurung’s body has been kept at Patan hospital after post-mortem.

Family members refused to receive the body, demanding compensation from the government. His relative Ram Bahadur Gurung said the family wouldn’t receive the body until the government provided compensation and footed the treatment bill.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Inspector General of Police Sarbendra Khanal visited the families of blast victims this morning. Minister Thapa vowed to take care of all medical expenses and support the family of the deceased. “We want written commitment from the government,” the victim’s family said.

Gurung, who hailed from Lamjung district, was living in Bhaisepati with his wife Sushila. He is survived by two daughters and a son.

According to Manita Pokharel, media coordinator at Mediciti Hospital, the two women — Pratikshya Khadka, 26, a resident of Bagdol, and Urusha Manandhar, 24 of Banepa, Kavre – are undergoing treatment. “They are out of danger,” she said.

Urusha, a nurse in the ICU department of the same hospital, suffered injuries in the ankle of her left leg. Similarly, Pratikshya who was on a motorbike driven by her husband suffered injuries to her back.

According to a police source, six suspects including Man BahadurTiruwa, a cadre of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, were arrested for investigation. Tiruwa, 23, who was held from Satdobato area in Lalitpur, had been in police custody several times for his alleged involvement in different crimes, a police source said. Among those arrested, two were security guards at Ncell office, it added.

Sixteen other persons were arrested in connection with blasts in other districts.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Uttam Raj Subedi, a manhunt has been launched to nab more suspects. “There were at least a dozen incidents of bombing and torching at the Ncell towers in other districts in the past 24 hours,” Subedi said.