Cops quiz cop

KATHMANDU: The Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Office (MPCO) on Wednesday sought clarification from inspector Jayraj Sapkota over his alleged involvement in looting Bangladeshi national Abul Khayar inside the Gaushala police office. Sapkota was also transferred from the Gaushala station to the MPCO at Ranipokhari. The MPCO had arrested SI Khagendra Dhahal on the charge of looting $2,000 from Khayar, who was held for carrying a fake visa. “As Dahal said he took the money on Sapkota’s orders, the latter has been asked to clarify,” a police official said. — HNS

Bhotojatra on Sunday

LALITPUR: The chariot of Rato Machhindranath will be pulled from Lagankhel to Jawalakhel on Thursday, according to Purusottam Paudel, the chief of the Guthi Sansthan in Lalitpur. The Bhotojatra festival will be marked on Sunday at Jawalakhel, thus ending the Kathmandu Valley’s longest-running

festival, Paudel added. — HNS

Japanese rice aid

KATHMANDU: The government of Japan has decided to provide 5,544 metric tonnes of rice to abridge the production shortfall of paddy in 2006/07, the Nepal Food Corporation said in press release on Wednesday. According to the NFC, a memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed between the governments of Nepal and Japan. The assistance will be provided to remote districts and the Kathmandu valley. — HNS

Firing near hotel

KATHMANDU: A group of unidentified persons, who came on two motorcycles, opened fire near the gate of the Shangrila Hotel in Lazimpat at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday. Police said they recovered three used bullets from the spot. — HNS

Tanahun AIDS deaths

Tanahun: Two persons, who had returned home from India, died of AIDS two weeks ago in Tanahun, an NGO working in the district said. One person from Kahun Shivapur-4 and another from Byas Municipality-2 died of the deadly disease. — HNS