Held docs not quizzed

KATHMANDU: Police have not yet interrogated the four intern doctors, who were arrested from the Bir hospital on Friday night on the charge of public offence, a police official at the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, said on Saturday. “We are yet to interrogate them. Some officials of the hospital told us they were doing internship, while others said they are volunteer doctors,” the official said. Efforts to contact Dr Damodar Pokharel, medical superintendent of the hospital, went in vain. — HNS

One abducted

SAPTARI: The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (Goit group) has kidnapped the son of a former president of the Appellate Court, Rajbiraj Bar Unit, Ram Krishna Gautam. According to family sources, his son, Srikrishna Gautam, was abducted from his home at Golbazaar of Siraha district four days ago. Siraha in-charge of the JTMM (Goit), Aftab, has owned up the abduction. — RSS

Logs seized

BARA: A patrolling team of the Sahajnath Community Forest Management Committee on Friday seized 10 logs at Kaat village in Bara. The wood smugglers also opened three rounds of fire. There were no casualties in the firing, said the patrolling team chief, Janga Bahadur Shah. Meanwhile, a report from Biratnagar said YCL cadres on Saturday seized 21 wood logs of saal tree at Urlabari VDC.— HNS

One shot dead

Birgunj: Five persons shot dead a contractor, Shesh Abdul Rahman Karim, at Jagganathpur village development committee in Parsa district, district police said on Saturday. The five had arrived on two motorcycles. Karim, 35, is a resident of Kanakpur VDC in Rautahat district. He had arrived at Jaganathpur from Chandranigahapur with a friend to inspect a contract work. The friend, however, was not hurt. After the murder, the five persons escaped from the spot with Karim’s motorcycle, eyewitnesses said. — HNS

72 fall ill in Mahottari

Mahottari: At least 72 persons, mostly Dalit children and senior citizens, fell ill after eating sweets during a marriage party at a settlement at Khutta Piparadi VDC in Mahottari yesterday. The sweets were distributed to members of the Mushahar settlement, who had gone there yesterday to clean pots. The sweets were damaged due to extreme heat. “Diarrhoea gripped them after they ate sweet in the house of one Foto Jha at the same VDC. The sweets were prepared on the occasion of a marriage celebration in May 13,” said a health worker, Girendra Jha. — HNS

Sahana’s stance

Kavre: Minister for Foreign Affairs Sahana Pradhan said on Saturday people would be deprived of their rights if republic was announced from the parliament. Inaugurating a training programme on Development of Women Leadership in Professional Sector, organised by the Kathmandu Regional Committee of Nepal Bank Staff Association in Banepa, she said: “People should be given an opportunity to decide by themselves on the issue of monarchy, even if a two-third majority of the parliament could take decision on the issue.” — HNS

Minister meets PM

KATHMANDU: Malaysian Minister for Youth and Sports Dato Seri Azalina Binta Doto Othman Siad called on PM Girija Prasad Koirala at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Saturday morning. An official at the PM’s residence said the Malaysian minister responded positively to the PM’s request for providing additional employment opportunities to Nepalese youths in Malaysia. — RSS

Nembang’s speech

Kathmandu: Speaker of the parliament Subas Nembang said on Saturday that Nepal is committed to safeguarding the interests of ethnicities and indigenous people. Delivering a speech at the sixth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN Headquarters in New York, Nembang expressed his commitment to uplift ethnic people and lay the foundation for an inclusive society. — RSS

Lekhak’s charge

PHIDIM: Minister of State for Labour and Transport Management Ramesh Lekhak said at a programme on Saturday that announcement of date for CA polls was delayed due to obstruction and violent acts of some bigger parties in the government. — HNS