Unless the govt reins in the Chand-led outfit, many more innocent lives could be lost in such terrorist acts

                                                           — Ncell blast victim’s brother

Kathmandu, February 25

A family member of Singh Prasad Gurung, who was killed in a blast outside Lalitpur-based Ncell office on Friday, wants the government to act against the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, which has owned up to the blast.

“My brother was killed for no fault of his. Unless the government reins in the Chand-led outfit, many more innocent people could lose their lives in such terrorist acts,” said the victim’s elder brother Shyam Prasad Gurung.

He said his brother’s wife had not been able to overcome the grief and had been suffering from fainting spells. “How can my sister-in-law raise her three children who are below the age of 13? My brother was the only breadwinner in the family,” Shyam said. He added that his brother should be declared a martyr. “The government had promised us compensation, but we are yet to get anything,” he added.

Criminal lawyer Lav Kumar Mainali said CPN was spreading terror mainly because its cadres and leaders enjoyed political protection.

“Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s admission that Chand-led faction was treated leniently in the past shows that the outfit enjoyed political protection,” Mainali added.

Asked if the government was preparing to declare CPN a terrorist organisation, Home Ministry Spokesperson Ram Krishna Subedi said there were enough laws to deal with acts of terror committed by the Chand-led outfit.

Former attorney general Badri Bahadur Karki said the existing laws did not allow the government to ban any outfit.

Som Prasad Pandey, who recently headed the government’s team that held talks with disgruntled outfits, said Chand, who initially showed interest in talks with the government’s team, backtracked at the last moment.

“I am in touch with CPN central committee members who are close to Chand. The government wants to seek a negotiated settlement with CPN,” Pandey said. He added that he had told CPN leaders that there was no alternative to dialogue. “I told them that their dream of capturing the state power through arms would never be realised,” he said.

Nepal Police Spokesperson Uttam Raj Subedi said FIRs had been lodged by Ncell and Grurung’s family in the Ncell blast case.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission today issued a press release urging the government to book those responsible for the recent bomb blasts, provide compensation to the victims’ families and arrange for the treatment of those injured in the blasts.

The NHRC stated that its attention was drawn to recent blasts and cases of arson in Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Kanchanpur, Jajarkot, Baglung, Myagdi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Eastern Rukum, Kaski and Nuwakot districts.  It urged those indulging in violence to shun it.

One person was killed and two were injured on Friday when an improvised explosive device went off near the gate of Ncell office in Lalitpur.