Dacoits arrested

RAUTAHAT: The police arrested three armed robbers who allegedly robbed dozens of households in the local Bagahi VDC on Sunday. Superintendent of Rautahat district police, Keshav Prasad Adhikari, in a press conference on Wednesday, said that of 14 persons involved in the robbery cases, Jawahar, 25, alias Jamahir Patel, of Sangrampur VDC- 7, Fekan Miya of Gamhariya-Parsa VDC 6 and Dhuran Sahani of Malahi 4 were arrested by a police team led by inspector Bijay Yadav of the area police office Garuda, on Monday night. — HNS

Plea for peace talks

SYANGJA: Members of civil society and intellectual in Syangja have urged the Maoists and the government to hold peace dialogue in order to restore normalcy in the country. Chairperson of the Civil Network for Peace-Syangja, Durga Narayan Dhakal, referring to the spate of murders and raging violence in the country, said that the warring parties should no longer delay in sitting down to peace talks. “The continuing war has not only claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, security men and Maoists, it has also damaged property worth crores of rupees,” Dhakal said. — HNS

Rights body’s threat

KATHMANDU: The Forum for Protection of Human Rights (FPHUR) on Tuesday threatened to move court and the United Nations if the government does not lift the ban on meeting the detained CPN-UML general secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal. The statement came following the government’s refusal to allow rights activists, including Padma Ratna Tuladhar, to meet Nepal. —HNS

FM station ‘on air’

PALPA: Radio Paschimanchal FM, which was damaged during the Maoist attack on Palpa on January 31, has resumed its operation from Wednesday. The radio service was disrupted after various transmission equipment were damaged in the attack. The FM can be heard in 23 Nepali districts and Bihar. — HNS

Bandh cripples Kaski

TANAHUN: The Maoist-called Kaski bandh affected the daily lives of the people of Tanahun on Wednesday. Buses bound for Pokhara from Damauli had to turn back from Dulegauda and Kotre due to the bandh, passengers said. Long-route buses for places like Kathmandu, Birgunj and Narayangarh could not ply due to the bandh. The few local vehicles that were plying charged high fares from the passengers. — HNS

NSP(A) leader freed

KATHMANDU: District court Nepalgunj on Wednesday freed Nepal Sadbhavana Party (A)leader, Qasim Ali Siddiqui, who was arrested on February 1 for his involvement in the movement to restore democracy. A statement issued by the NSP(A) general secretary, Rajendra Mahato, has demanded the release of all those detained for their involvement in political activism. — HNS

Teacher abducted

DHADING: The Maoists have abducted Ram Hari Nepal, a teacher of Mahendra Kalika Lower Secondary School, Dhading, from his residence at Khalte Village Development Committee, on Tuesday night. A group of four to five Maoists kidnapped him on the pretext of interrogation, family sources said. Dhading-based human rights organisations have called on the Maoists to release Nepal immediately and unconditionally. — HNS