JMN ‘ministers’

KATHMANDU: A member of the Seven-Party Alliance, the Jana Morcha Nepal faction led by Amik Serchan on Thursday recommended to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala the names of Giriraj Mani Pokharel and Shashi Shrestha to be appointed as Minister for Health and Population and state minister, respectively. He said he did not join the interim government, as there was no post of deputy prime minister. — HNS

Teacher held

Madhyapur Thimi: The Metropolitan Police Circle, Thimi, on Thursday arrested Balkrishna Shrestha, one of the teachers involved in leaking this year’s SLC exam question paper of Compulsory Nepali. He was arrested from Balkumari, Police Inspector Bipin Karmacharya said. Raj Prajapati and Rajesh Prajapati, two SLC students at local Siddhi Ganesh Secondary School, Thimi Nagdesh, had said during interrogation that Shrestha had given them the question paper. — RSS

Mysterious disease

SANKHUWASABHA: Two children died of an unknown disease at Mamling VDC-1 in Sankhuwasabha district on Wednesday, Area Police Office in Chainpur said on Thursday. The dead included 11-year-old Arjun Basyal, son of Tularam Basyal, and 12-year-old Sapana Rokka, daughter of Sukamaya Rokka. A medical team has been dispatched to the affected area from Chainpur Health Centre, the District Health Office said. — RSS

Trader kidnapped

RAJBIRAJ: An unidentified group abducted Manoj Kabra, the proprietor of Shambhunath Rice Mill situated at Mohanpur VDC in Saptari, on Thursday. Kabra’s uncle, Govind said the group took Kabra to an undisclosed location from the mill. In another incident, activists of the Madhesi Tigers looted Rs 15,000 from Satya Narayan Yadav. Area in-charge of Madhesi Tigers, Suman, said over telephone that they looted Yadav after Sancheti refused to give them donation. — HNS

Bombs planted

RAUTAHAT: Protesting reopening of government offices in Rautahat, an organisation called the Tarai Cobra detonated two bombs in Gaur on Wednesday. Government offices in Gaur, closed for long, reopened on Wednesday. However, Tarai Cobra detonated two bombs at Maisthan of Gaur-1 at 8 pm to protest the reopening of the offices. Areas No 4 and 5 incharge of Tarai Cobra (Sarlahi), Nirvaya Chaudhary, said his group detonated the bombs. — HNS

Four held with arms

BARA: The Kolhawi area police office on Thursday arrested four men and seized a home-made pistol and five live rounds of ammunition from them. Those arrested are Pramod Mahato, Manoj Shah, Upendra Gosai, of Rautahat and Janak Lal Bhagat, of Bara, said Bara SP, Sarbendra Khanal. Police suspect that the four might have links with the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha. — HNS