SC ruling on loans

Kathmandu: The Supreme Court stated today that the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) has the authority to black-list any businessman or group if the latter does not pay back the loan taken from any financial institution. A three-member full bench of justices Min Bahadur

Rayamajhi, Bala Ram KC and Kalyan Shrestha issued the verdict. Quashing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Ishwor Prasad Adhikary, the bench upheld the Credit Information Bureau’s authority. The petitioner had sought the Supreme Court order to the authorities, including Nepal Rastra Bank, the government and the Ministry of Finance not to give the Credit Information Bureau the authority to blacklist defaulters. The petitioner had claimed that the Nepal Rastra Bank Act 2058 BS does not permit anyone to black-list anyone

or any group. — HNS

Road mishaps kill two

DHADING: Two persons died in separate road mishaps on the Mahendra and Prithvi Highways on Wednesday and Thursday, the police said. One person died when a bus overturned at Adhabhar in Pathlaiya on the Mahendra Highway on Thursday, the police said, adding that the name of the 24-year-old person of Chaudhari caste, of Bhuluyahi in Sunsari district’s Dumarwa VDC, could not be ascertained. In another incident, the conductor of a truck, Navin Tamang, of Makwanpur, died when the truck plunged into the Trishuli river from Ghoptebhir along the Prithvi Highway on Wednesday night. Truck driver Ishwor Shrestha, of Hetaunda, sustained injuries in the incident. — HNS

Sandalwood seized

SARLAHI: Police seized red sandalwood and different goods worth Rs 1.4 million from Ishworpur VDC of Sarlahi district on Thursday. Superintendent of police at the district police office Ganesh KC said 500 kg of red sandalwood was seized from a rented godown. A local Jagatnarayan Shrestha had been using the godown owned by Baikuntha Mainali on

rent. Police also seized six cartoons of color from the godown. The police handed over the red sandalwood to the District Forest Office and the color to the District Customs Office. — HNS

Highway blocked

SIRAHA: Activists of the seven parties and the locals blocked the road for an hour in Lahan on Thursday accusing the police of letting a murder suspect escape from police custody. Party

activists and locals protested after Phiroj Miya, one of the four persons arrested on the suspicion of killing NC leader Bechan Yadav, escaped while he was undergoing treatment in Janakpur. Traffic on the east-west Mahendra Highway was disrupted for an hour from 2 pm due to the blockade. — HNS

Dacoits strike village

SIRAHA: Fifteen armed dacoits in police fatigue looted property worth three lakh rupees from Dalit Basti (a Dalit settlement) in Siraha district on Wednesday night. According to the police, among others, the dacoits looted the houses of 13 villagers, including Sanjit Mahara, Paltu Mahara, Dhanushi Mahara, Kritalal Mahara, Chhatur Mahara, Sriprasad Mahara and Kapil Mahara, of Baderwa Chamar Tole of Siraha-5. A local Chhedi Mahara was severely injured in a clash with the dacoits. He has been undergoing treatment at the Siraha-based district hospital. — HNS

Road shut after scuffle

PHIDIM: Some persons identifying themselves as cadres of the Limbuwan State Council beat staffers of a taxi numbered Me 1 Kha 659 Rinji Sherpa and Mausam Rimal on Thursday. The taxi used to operate on the Phidim-Yangnam Phalaut road. The group beat up the two demanding that they operate the vehicle even when locals, demanding the fixation of fare, had enforced bandh on the Phidim-Yangnam Phalaut road. Cadres of the Limbuwan State Council beat us when we refused to drive the vehicle during the bandh, said Rinji Sherpa. Protesting the incident, transport workers have enforced bandh on the road with effect from Thursday. They demanded that the assailants be punished and the victims compensated. — HNS