RPP legitimacy issue

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday sent separate letters to both factions of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) to submit necessary evidence and documents regarding the legitimacy of their respective factions within three days. The letter was sent to both factions after the Pashupati SJB Rana-led RPP faction moved the Patan appellate court on Thursday, seeking a stay order to the EC not to recognise the Kamal Thapa-led RPP. — HNS

Timber seized

GAUR: A forest patrol led by Ranger Ranjit Yadav on Friday confiscated 400 cubic feet of timber from Thokar in Chandranigahapur. The forest team, acting on a tip-off from the villagers, seized the timber estimated to be worth about Rs 300,000 after smugglers had buried it in the ground to avoid detection.— RSS

Two lakh take holy dip

Rajbiraj: Two lakh devotees bathed in Sapta Koshi river on Saturday on Poush Shukla Purnima and Maghe Sankranti. Pilgrims believe bathing in the Koshi this day washes away sins. A fair was also organised in the Koshi Barrage area. It is the custom to sample various delicacies after bathing in Koshi. Devotees from myriad places of India also come to take bathe in Sapta Koshi. Traditon has devotees worship Goddess Devi Kaushika this day, also known as Pusi Purnima in Mithila region. — HNS

Cop killed in blast

DIPAYAL: A police constable was killed when the Maoists hurled a bomb at security forces in Gothalapani bazaar of Baitadi district on Saturday, the Far-Western Division of the Royal Nepalese Army said. A section commander of the Maoists, Dhan Bahadur Saud alias Pawan of Bhumiraj VDC-4, surrendered to the Baitadi-based Singha Shardul Company of the RNA on Saturday, the division said. — HNS

Sister to arrive today

KATHMANDU: Sister Mary Nirmala, the head of the Missionaries of Charity (MC) of Kolkata, will arrive in Kathmandu on Sunday, officials at the MC office in Kathmandu said. She could not arrive in Kathmandu on Saturday because her flight was cancelled. “She finally decided to travel to Kathmandu on a microbus. She will stay for a night in Hetaunda on Saturday and will be in Kathmandu by Sunday morning,” the officials said. — HNS