Free rights defenders’:

Kathmandu: The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) has expressed its concern over the arrest of human rights defenders, journalists, professors and political leaders and has called for their immediate release. In a press statement here on Monday, it has urged the government to release all those arrested after the February 1 royal move. — HNS

Action against defaulters:

Pokhara: The government has initiated action against businessmen who have been using faulty measuring instruments in Pokhara. According to Yogendra Kumar Poudel, chief of Standards and Metrology office in Pokhara, a market monitoring team has started investigation and action since Saturday following complaints that sub-standard measuring instruments were in use in the city. “Our main focus is to check irregularities in metric system,” Poudel said. Different kinds of ineffective scales are being used to measure weight in the city and they will be checked, he added. — HNS

19 SLC exam centres:

SYANGJA: The District Education Office, Syangja informed on Sunday that it is setting up 19 exams centres for 5,000 students appearing for the SLC this year from the district. Last year, there were 20 exam centres. The District Education Officer Prem Nath Poudel said they decided against fixing exam centre at Mirmi due to security reason. The SLC examination is beginning from March 27. The centres are fixed at the secondary and higher secondary schools of Syangja Bazaar, Waling and Jaipate. — HNS

Custody for accused:

BARA: The Bara district court has ordered Dhanwanti Devi Kurmi, 45, and Jeevan Mukhiya Bin, 27, of Paterwa VDC, to judicial custody on Monday. The men are charged with the murder of Nagendra Prasad Jaiswar, the Paterwa VDC secretary on January 19. A single bench of district court judge Durga Dutt Bhatta made the decision. — HNS

Hospitals sans doctors:

TANAHUN: Two hospitals and a primary health centre situated in Tanahun are without doctors. There is no doctor at Damauli Hospital and Bandipur Hospital. Similarly, the health centre at Bhimad is also without a doctor, complained locals. Dr Kedar Prasad Senchuri of Damauli Hospital is in Kathmandu to take part in a weeklong workshop. Due to lack of doctors, patients are compelled to go to Pokhara for treatment. — HNS

VDC secys rejoin duty:

BAGLUNG: The secretaries of the VDCs of Baglung district, who had earlier resigned en masse citing Maoist threat, have resumed their duties. They rejoined duty after the DDC directed them to resume duty or face actions. Addressing a meeting of the VDC secretaries organised at DDC office, Baglung, on Monday, CDO Prem Narayan Sharma instructed them to resume their work. — HNS

Telephone sets seized:

GORAKHA: Security forces have confiscated sets, bases, antennas and other materials of more than 100 cordless telephones being operated illegally from different rural settlements of Gorakha district. The cordless phones were confiscated from Bachchek, Anppipal, Srinathkot, Gatak, Chyanglki, Namjung, Bukot, Ghairung, Taple, Nareshwor and other VDCs , it is said. — RSS

Three girls arrested:

SUNSARI: Police here have arrested three girls red handed while they were found consuming sedative drug Nitorcin. Among those arrested were 19-year old Bishika Limbu of ward no 16 of Dharan municipality, 23-year old Sujata Rai and 23-year old Sita Limbu. — RSS