Biratnagar, March 25

Police have arrested three persons including two leaders of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal from Morang and Kalikot in the past twenty four hours.

From Morang, Chand-led CPN Koshi Bureau In-charge Puskar Shrestha and another person were arrested from a village in Kane Pokhari Rural Municipality last evening.

Shrestha, and Akash Sharma of the party, whose designations in the party were not revealed, were arrested when the police reached a place 7km south from the East-West Highway upon being tipped off about an internal training of the party.

According to police sources, other leaders fled after police reached the site.

On his part, Morang police Chief SP Manoj KC disavowed any knowledge about the arrests.

“I would have known it had there been any arrests here. While I’m pretty sure that no police team from the district have made the arrest, I don’t know if any police team from outside the district made the arrest,” said the SP.

According to Kalikot District Police Office DSP Binod Sharma, the Chand-led party’s sister wing Buddhijivi Parishad’s Bheri Karnali Chairperson Dhanaraj Shahi was arrested this morning.

Hailing from Jubitha of Tilagufa Municipality near the Karnali Highway, Shahi was arrested from Ratadab from the same municipality. Police are also said to have seized some ammunition from Shahi.

According to police sources, Chand-led party members had exploded a bomb targeting a police van assigned for the security of Secondary Education Examinations at a local school in Ratadab this morning.

Police said Shahi was arrested during a search operation after the explosion.

Police are said to have seized 32 gelatin sticks and one kg sulfur, among other things. Police said investigation was under way.

Earlier, police had arrested nine persons, including Chand-led CPN mid-regional command in-charge Hemanta Prakash Oli from Kavre on Friday evening. The government, following the ban on the Chand-led CPN’s activities, has stepped up surveillance on leaders of the party.