Maoists loot 5 lakh

POKHARA: A group of Maoists looted around Rs 500000 from the branch offices of the Rastriya Banijya Bank and the Dairy Development Corporation here on Monday. The Maoists, after taking a security guard under control, looted cash totalling Rs 449000. According to the guard, the Maoists had disconnected telephone lines before looting the bank. Branch manager Govinda Prasad Acharya was not in the office when the looting occurred. The same gang looted Rs 2500 from Ram Prasad Pokharel, accountant of the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC), Pokhara, and Rs 40000 from DDC leader Om Lal Badagami, informed a staffer.

16 Maoists surrender

PANAUTI: Sixteen persons associated with different Maoist organisations surrendered to the district administration office, Kabhre-palanchok, on Monday. Tasbir Tamang alias Pikchar, Brish Bahadur Lama and Chandra Singh Lama of the Chaubas VDC, Prahlad Thapaliya, Madan Bahadur Majhi, Pramod Raj Upreti, Purushottam Majhi, Laxmi Bhakta Thapaliya, are among those who surrendered, said CDO Shambhu Koirala. RSS

16-year-old shot

RAMECHHAP: One 16-year boy was shot dead by an unidentified group in Salu bazaar of Ramechhap district on Monday evening. The boy, identified as Krishna Bahadur Tamang, a resident of Orkheni VDC-1 of the district used to work in a teashop belonging to Birkha Bahadur Shrestha. No information is yet received on the reason of the murder, but the security forces say this must be the act of the Maoists.

Two drown in Rapti

NAWALPARASI: Badri Khatiwada, 60, of Serganj and an unidentified man drowned in the Rapti river while they were crossing it, locals said. The two died while they were crossing the Rapti river at the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) on Sunday, Buddha Raj Shrestha, a local said. The two had gone into the park to collect firewood.

Helper falls to death

ILAM: Rakesh Niraula, helper of a bus with registration number Na 2 Kha 6716, died when he fell from the bus in Aitabare, along the Mechi Highway, on Monday. The bus was heading towards Illam from Birtamod, Jhapa. Rakesh was a resident of Sanishchare, Jhapa, the police said.