Blast in Bara

BARA: An unidentified gang detonated a socket bomb in the house belonging to a civilian Prakash Acharya at Kalaiya-5 in Bara on Thursday night. The explosion has not caused any damage, according to the Bara District Police Office. — HNS

STF nabs 2 with arms

RAUTAHAT: The Special Task Force nabbed Nawal Kishor Chaudhary and Dharma Nath Chaudhary of Badaharwa-2 with arms and ammunition in Rautahat’s Baaharwa VDC on December 20 said district police office. One 350 pistol, seven bullets and eight socket bombs were confiscated from them, said superintendent of police Laxman Neupane. Under the Arms and Ammunition Act, action has been initiated to file case against them, he said. — HNS

Six hurt in scuffle

RAMECHHAP: Six persons were hurt when locals of Khaniyapani and Danse VDCs scuffled over the issue

of constructing a road on Thursday. Six persons including Hari Prasad Bhandari, Basanta Bhandari, Sitaram Bhandari, Bakhat Bahadur Bhandari of Khaniyapani were hurt in the fight, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Ramechhap district police office, Shivahari Banskota said, adding, condition of those injured is normal. — HNS

Concern over IDPs

KATHMANDU: The UN Humanitarian Coordinator (UNHC) and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) on Friday expressed deep concern over delay in approving the directives on internally displaced persons (IDPs), saying that the delay has prevented IDPs from realising their full rights. The government has passed the directives on IPDs eight months ago. “For the benefit of all IDPs, the UNHC, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNHCR, OHCHR and the NRC has urged the Government of Nepal to immediately approve the IDP directives,” the Norwegian Refugee Council’s release said. — HNS

Muslims warn govt

MAHOTTARI: The Muslim community in Mahottari protested on Friday claiming that the government did not implement the agreement it had made with the political parties to declare public holidays on Muslims’ festivals. The Muslim community in the district donned black armbands while going to offer the Eid-ul-Zoha prayers in the Idgah. Muslim Mukti Morcha Nepal chairman Shamshul Nadaf accused the government of discriminating against Muslims and warned that the entire Muslim community would resort to agitation if the government continued its discriminatory attitude. — HNS

Poudel slams Maoists

PALPA: Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel on Thursday blamed the Maoists for playing political games by raising various issues to disrupt the CA polls. Speaking at a press meet organised by the FNJ Palpa chapter in Tansen, Poudel said the Maoists are neither clearly expressing their stance on the monarchy nor on republic. He said: “The CA election was deferred twice due to the Maoists.” Poudel also called on the Maoists to be serious about holding the CA polls. — HNS

Bodies handed over

TANAHU: The bodies of three women who were swept away in Seti River on Thursday were handed over to their relatives after post mortem at Damauli hospital on Friday. Lalu Gurung (25), Mohini Thapa (26) and Rupa Thapa (19) of Jhaputar in Kahunshivpur VDC-1 were swept away while on their way to collect firewood at a nearby forest . — HNS

One abducted

RAJBIRAJ: An unidentified gang abducted Mahendra Mahato, 43, of Saptari’s Bairawa VDC-2 on December 20. An agriculturist by profession, Mahato was kidnapped from his house by a gang of six-seven armed persons when he was asleep, Saptari district police office said. Meanwhile, Narayan Prasad Pokharel, a teacher in Saptari’s Mahuli-based Ashish Boarding School, abducted three days ago, was released on Friday. — HNS