Nine held in Lahan

LAHAN: Nine political activists were arrested on Tuesday in course of the Lahan bandh called by the seven-party alliance. While factories and academic institutions were closed due to the bandh, traffic flow on the Mahendra Highway was normal. The bandh was called to protest the authorities not paying heed to appellate court order to produce 25 detainees before the court on Monday. The detainees were produced before the court on Tuesday. — HNS

10-yr-old hurt in blast

JHAPA: Ten-year-old Kiran Shah of Ghailadubba VDC of Jhapa was injured when the Maoists detonated a socket bomb at the Ghailadubba bazaar on Monday, a report, quoting members of Shah’s family, said, adding about 100 Maoist cadres had burnt tyres and opened fire. — HNS

15 activists freed

ILAM/SYANGJA: The local administrations in Ilam and Syangja on Tuesday freed five and 10 political activists respectively. With the release of the five detainees, Ilam has no more anti-poll political prisoners. In Syangja, the administration released 10 district-level leaders and cadres of various political parties. They were arrested from a pro-democracy rally on January 31. — HNS

Maoists torch jeep

JANAKPUR: Suspected Maoists set a jeep belonging to the Shah Glass House on fire on Tuesday. The jeep had been used in the election campaign of Raj Dev Mishra, who was elected mayor of Janakpur. The Maoists also detonated four bombs in the northeastern part of Janakpur on Monday night. — HNS

Three bodies found

PALPA: The dead bodies of three security personnel who went missing after the Maoist attack on the district headquarter Tansen on January 31, have been found amid the rubble of the Tansen palace. According to the District Police Office, Palpa, the dead bodies of SI Man Bahadur Gurung, police constable Dipendra Sapkota, and constable Gautam Aryal were found in the ruins. — HNS

Man shot dead

SARLAHI: An unidentified gunman shot dead one Chandeshwor Rai, 30, at Ghusukpur of Haripurwa VDC in Sarlahi district on Monday night, DSP of District Police Office, Sarlahi, Ram Bahadur Basnet, said. Rai died on the spot but another person with him at the time of the shooting managed to escape, police said. The two relatives of Rai, who were accompanying him, are absconding, police said. — HNS

Highway cleared

PALPA: The Siddhartha Highway, obstructed for the past five days due to the road blocks placed by the Maoists, was cleared on Tuesday. The vehicular traffic on the highway was halted after the Maoists placed road blocks at Dobhan area on Butwal-Tansen road section. The traffic resumed on Tuesday after the stranded passengers and staff of the local vehicles cleared the road, the District Traffic Office, Palpa, said. — HNS