ONCE-OVER

Maoists free teachers

RAMECHHAP: Twelve teachers of the Tamakoshi Janajagrit Higher Secondary School in Khimti VDC, whom the Maoists had abducted on Monday, were freed on Tuesday, locals said, adding the Maoists had made the abductees take part in a programme. — HNS

12 protesters hurt

Nepalgunj: Over a dozen people were injured on Tuesday when police intervened in a rally organised to protest against the King’s decision to shift all offices of the midwestern region to Surkhet and Bheri zonal offices to Kohalpur respectively. The police was trying to prevent the rally from entering Tribhuvan Chowk that has been declared a prohibited area by the local administration. Vice-president of the Industrial Business Organisation Banke, Sunil Kumar Sharma, member Pradip Gupta, president of Banke-based Hotel Organisation, were among the injured. — HNS

Villager abducted

Sindhupalchok: A group of over 10 armed Maoists kidnapped Khil Prasad Nepal, the mediator of Micro-skill Development Programme, from Patidada of Thumpakhar village development committee on Monday ‘to interrogate him’, the locals quoted the Maoists as saying. Meanwhile, the Maoists refused to allow a group of students to conduct academic tours in the district, saying that students had no permission to visit the area, said an ANNFSU member. — HNS