Sundh leaves

KATHMANDU: Representative of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Lena Sundh on Saturday left Nepal after serving the office for eight months. Sundh will be replaced by Richard Bennett. She paid a courtesy call to PM Koirala at Baluwatar on Friday. —HNS

Karki’s talks rider

NEPALGUNJ: A member of the government talks team and Minister of State for Water Resources Gyanendra Bahadur Karki on Saturday said both the factions of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha must lay down arms in order to sit for talks. Speaking at a press conference, Karki said the ongoing dialogue with the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum would yield results, adding the government would address the genuine demands. —HNS

Trader found dead

BIRGUNJ: A Nepali trader was found dead on the Nepal-India border south of Inaruwa village of the Birgunj sub-metropolis on Friday evening. Sundar Adhikari, 30, of Kalanki in Kathmandu-13, was found dead, said assistant sub-inspector Buddhi Chaudhari at the Inaruwa police post. Indian police took his body for post-mortem on Saturday. “The body was found on Indian soil,” said Parsa SP, Jay Bahadur Chand. — HNS

Kidnap bid foiled

BARA: A kidnapper, who tried to abduct 11-year-old Moti Rahman, son of Maqbul Miyan of Dharmanagar in Bara, on Saturday, fled the scene after he saw a police team, said the Bara police office. The kidnapper, who was taking away the boy on a bicycle, fled, leaving the boy. — HNS

Minister’s call

KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs Sahana Pradhan on Saturday stressed the need to increase willpower of people suffering form leprosy by shunning aside traditional belief. Inaugurating the 36th Central Assembly of Nepal Leprosy Relief Association, Pradhan said leprosy patients should not feel humiliated. —RSS

Maoist killed

RAJBIRAJ: Cadres of Goit-led Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-G) on Saturday shot dead a Maoist leader, Govinda Chaudhari, in Saptari. The cadres of JTMM-G abducted Chaudhari from Basain VDC and killed him in Negada VDC-5, police said. The group’s area No 3 in-charge Kranti claimed the responsibility of killing Chaudhari. — HNS

Bandh withdrawn

PARASI: The Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum on Saturday withdrew its bandh call later in the evening on Saturday after police freed 11 of its cadres. The MJF had called the bandh on Saturday to press the local administration to release its cadres arrested on Friday evening, said Anil Gaud, the District advisor of the Forum. Transport services, industries and factories remained closed on Saturday in Parasi bazaar. — RSS

Traffic disrupted

SARLAHI: Maoists on Saturday obstructed traffic along Mahendra Highway for six-and-a-half hours to press for the release of their Sarlahi Area No 5 in-charge, Thag Ram Chamar. “We had announced a chakkajam on the highway but we called it off after the administration agreed to free our cadre tomorrow,” said Maoist Sarlahi in-charge Manish Majhi. —HNS