RNA clarification:

POKHARA: Prakash Bahadur Basnet, the division chief of Royal Nepalese Army western division headquarters, Pokhara, has said the RNA men had fired tear gas cells on the Prithvi Narayan Campus premises to control the students on February 1 and the report that they fired bullets was not true. He was addressing a press conference organised by the divisional headquarters in Pokhara on Tuesday. However, the PN Campus chief Dr Dil Bahadur Chhetri said a bullet had hit a student Geeta KC and is undergoing treatment in Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara. Meanwhile, Basnet, refusing that RNA man had fired the bullet, said RNA was investigating over the case, adding, “She must have been shot at by somebody else.” — HNS

Maoist killed in blast:

DAILEKH: A Maoist died on the spot when a socket bomb he was carrying exploded at Narayan municipality-9, Jhupresal recently. Based on the documents recovered on the spot, he is identified as Udaya working in Basi village development committee of the district, the district based security source said. — RSS

Call to publish papers:

Dhankuta: The newspapers, which were suspended by the district administration office after the declaration of emergency in the country, have been given permission to restart publication. Addressing an interaction organised here today, the Chief District Officer of Dhankuta, Sambhu Prasad Ghimire urged the journalists to publish newspapers in favour of restoring peace. CDO Ghimire urged journalists not to publish news which encourages terrorism. — HNS

VDC secys resume duty:

RAMECHHAP: All village development committee secretaries of 55 VDCs of the Ramechhap district, who had resigned en masse on January 23 after threats by the Maoists, resumed their duties from Monday. The secretaries have started to take up their duties, Chudamani Basyal, the Ramechhap Chief District Officer said. Similarly the VDC secretaries of all the 79 VDCs of Gulmi district, who had stalled their duty from the past one month citing Maoist threat, resumed their work from Monday. They resumed their duty after the District Administration Office warned them to return to the job. — HNS

Dalit pupil thrashed:

SIRAHA: A school headmaster thrashed a Dalit student for lodging a complaint to the local administration office for accusing him of misusing the fund of the Dalit Scholarship Programme. Headmaster Ramdev Yadav beat Lalita Kumari Mandal, a fourth grade student of Sarbajanik Primary School of Naya Chauharba. It is stated that Scholarship fund meant for 30 Dalit students was misappropriated. — RSS

Rhino found dead:

BHARATPUR: A rhinoceros has been found dead at Bachhauli VDC-1, Badhani of Chitwan district. “Apparently the wild-animal died of electric shock,” said a local. Farmers in the area fence their fields with live wires to protect the crop from wild-animals. The Royal Chitwan National Park administration has taken five farmers under control and is conducting necessary investigation. — RSS