Cop flees with 4 guns

KAPILVASTU: An Armed Police Force constable posted at the revenue office in Krishnanagar fled with four SLR weapons on Wednesday night. SP Mohan KC of the APF Bindhyabasini battalion in Chandrauta said an investigation into the case is on. However, he refused to name the absconder. — HNS

Pact to unlock DDC

BARA: An agreement has been reached to unlock the office of Bara DDC, padlocked by agitating staffers since February 6, on Thursday. This decision was made during a meeting among local development officer, representatives of the district chapter of Local Bodies Staffers’ Association, journalists and civil society. The DDC staffers have been staging agitation demanding that they be made permanent and provision of allowance be introduced. “If our demands will not be fulfilled, we will launch more protests,” chairman of the Association, Maghu Prasad Jaiswal, said. — HNS

One abducted

RAJBIRAJ: An armed gang abducted Rajeshwor Biraji, 35, of Madhwapur-6 in Saptari district, on Wednesday night. Biraji, who is an employee of the Kanchanpur-based office of IME Money Transfer, was abducted while he was returning home from the office, a family source said. — HNS

Ambulances stopped

DHANKUTA: Two ambulances that used to ply here have been grounded due to a shortage of fuel. The Dhankuta chapter of the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the Nepal Cancer Disease Control Organisation had been operating the ambulances. “The ambulances stopped plying due to a shortage of fuel,” member of the Dhankuta chapter of the Nepal Red Cross Society Sujanbhai Joshi said. The shortage of kerosene has hit students hard. — HNS

Tarai Cobra’s stance

GAUR: Tarai Cobra, an agitating group in the Tarai, on Thursday said it was ready to hold dialogue with the government. Issuing a press release, chairman of the group Nagraj said they were ready to sit for a dialogue with the government to discuss the 21-point demands they have submitted to the government. The demands include cancelling the decision of secular state, declaration of proportional parliament by dissolving the interim parliament, establishment of the federal republic and One Madhes One Pradesh and reservation to the Madhesis in the judiciary, executive, legislature and the Nepal Army, among others. — RSS

Two girls die

ITAHARI: Two girls died while two were injured when they were buried by a mound in Chandabela VDC of Sunsari on Thursday. Sunsari police office chief SP Yadav Raj Khanal said, Manisa Chaudhary, 6, and Chandani Chaudhary, 12, of Chandabela-5 died after they were covered by a mound near Barun river while digging mud for smudging house. Anisha, 12, and Rupa Chaudhary, 8, have been seriously injured in the incident and are being treated. — HNS