Four kidnappers held

Lalitpur: Police on Wednesday rescued Dhruba Shrestha who was kidnapped from the Gwarko area yesterday and arrested four persons allegedly involved in his kidnapping. The police said the kidnappers took Shrestha, a retail-shop owner at Gwarko, to Dhulikhel and demanded Rs 30,000 from his family. The police arrested Sunil Basnet of Balaju while he was receiving the ransom from Shrestha’s family in Lalitpur. “We arrested three other persons — Shushil Basnet of Balaju, Binod Ghatani of Kavre and Purna Chandra Lama of Kavre — involved in the kidnapping from a restaurant,” SP Pashupati Upadhyay at the Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, said. — HNS

NHRC concerned

Kathmandu: The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday expressed serious concern about intervention and security forces’ action against Tibetan refugees in Kathmandu. “NHRC attention has been drawn towards the perpetual intervention and action of the security forces against the Tibetan refugees organising peaceful protests,” the press release issued by NHRC secretary, Bishan Khanal, states. The NHRC has also urged authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly, right to participate in meetings and processions and right to organise the protest programmes. The rights body urged the refugees to respect the law of the host country and also condemned the arrest of human rights activists including former NHRC member Sushil Pyakurel while participating in demonstration against the police action against the refugees. — HNS

Normalcy returns

RUPANDEHI: Life in the district has become normal after Tuesday night’s withdrawal of bandh in Rupandehi, Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu districts by the Maoist-affiliated Abadh State Committee. Factories, transport and educational institutions resumed operations as usual. The bandh was called to protest the alleged import of weapons from India for the Armed Police Force. — HNS