Once-over

Pen-down protest

BARA: Staffers of the Bara District Development Committee (DDC) at the call of the Local Bodies Staffers’ Association of Nepal downed their pens for three hours here on Sunday. The DDC staffers with a 15-point charter of demands also sported black armbands. — HNS

Bandh hits life

NUWAKOT: A bandh called the the relatives of a woman, who mysteriously died on last Wednesday, affected normal life here in Bidur on Sunday. Relatives of the dead Sunita Khatiwada called the bandh, demanding to probe the case of Sunita’s mysterious death. Due to the bandh no vehicle plied and educational institutions were closed. “We are investigating whether Sunita had a natural death or she was killed,” DSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh. — HNS

Dacoits kill one

CHITWAN: A man died while another was injured when armed dacoits attacked Gitanagar in western Chitwan on Saturday night. The District Police Office, Chitwan, said the group killed Devi Prasad Pokhrel of Gitanagar-8 with sharp weapons. It is learnt that Pokhrel was killed while retaliating the dacoits. Wife of the deceased, Laxmi Pokhrel, sustained minor injuries in the incident. It is learnt that the group of armed dacoits looted five tola of gold and Rs 5,000 from the house of a neighbour, Ram Chandra Pokhrel. — RSS

Rs 5 lakh looted

LAHAN: Two masked men on Sunday looted Rs 5 lakh from two staffers of the Srijana Finance. The staffers — Nagenu Mahato and Mahenu Shah — were looted near the Pashupati Secondary School while they were returning after withdrawing money from the Rastriya Banijya Bank, Lahan. According to accountant of the firm, Sanjeeb Yadav, the staffers had withdrawn six lakh rupees. After looting the cash, they fled southwards with their friends, eyewitnesses said. A Nepali Army camp is located just 500 metres away from the site. Local businessmen are feeling insecure after the robbery in the daytime. — RSS

Press union panel

KANCHANPUR: The Third District Convention of the Nepal Press Union (NPU) Saptari district has elected a new 11-member new working committee. The committee has Abadhesh Kumar Jha as vice-president, Om Prakash Saha as secretary, and Pawan Mishra as treasurer. Shambhu Nandan Chaudhari, Ganga Prasad Saha, Ugrakant Jha, Ram Narayan Biswas, Rashmi Jha, Ms Lalita Saha and Shrawan Dev are members of the 11-member committee. Jitendra Khadga, Shambhu Jha, Shambhulal Dev, Arjun Saha, Radheshyam Raman, Rajesh Jha, Shailendra Saha and Manoj Majhi are councillors of the committee. — RSS

Disease grips village

Gaur: An entire village in Aurahi Village Development Committee (VDC) of Rautahat district has been affected due to gastroenteritis. The condition of some 230 people in the village is said to be vulnerable due to gastroenteritis. The senior citizens of the village, children and youngsters have been affected by gastroenteritis. The disease spread in the village as a result of the floods caused by incessant rains in the village. Hundreds of villagers have been affected as the drinking water in the village is contaminated due to the flood water. A team of medical personnel has been sent from the district public health office to the village affected by gastritis, according to Bajra Kishor Thakur, Chief of the Rautahat District

Hospital. — RSS