Maoists grab land

ITAHARI: Cadres of the CPN-Maoist have grabbed four bighas of land belonging to three locals of Barah Kshetra in Sunsari district. Dilu Kumari Tamrakar of Barah Kshetra-1 said the Maoists captured her land and have started tilling the land without notifying her. The Maoists have also captured the land of Sarala and Anila Tamrakar. Maoist district leader Deepak claimed that as the Tamrakars had been encroaching forest land, the land was grabbed by the Maoists. However, the Tamrakars have claimed to be the rightful owners of the land. Officer at the District Forest Office Murari Pokharel said he was unaware of the details of the ownership of the land. — HNS

Man kills father

RAMECHHAP: Sixty-year-old Karna Tamang of Bijulikot village development ward number-2 thrashed his elderly father Kale Tamang, 90, to death after a dispute on Tuesday night, Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office in Ramechhap Shiva Hari Banskota said. Karna has been taken into police custody, police said. — HNS

Pilgrim dies

PHIDIM: Arjun Gautam, 53, of Itahari-1 died while returning from a pilgrimage to the temple of Pathivara Devi on Monday. Gautam had reached Pathivara along with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren on Sunday to perform a Puja there. Gautam, who had walked up to Suketar after offering the Puja, died in his sleep, his wife Sita Gautam said. The locals of Taplejung bazaar collected fund to send the body to Itahari on Tuesday. — HNS

No decision on bill

KATHMANDU: The parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC) on Wednesday continued discussion on the Constituent Assembly Member Election Bill, 2007. The SAC has not been able to finalise the Bill because of complications in deciding the percentage of representation of various groups in the elections to be held on the basis of proportional representation. “There will be six groups, including women, Madhesis and ethnic minorities, but the complication is in deciding the percentage,” said Bam Morcha lawmaker Ganesh Shah. — HNS

NHRC’s concern

Kathmandu: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed serious concern about the threats issued by the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (Goit) to journalists working with different media organisations. In a press statement on Wednesday, the rights body said it has received complaints of JTMM-Goit faction issuing threats to journalists working in the Tarai. The NHRC statement urged the concerned group to stop terrorising and issuing threats to the journalists. — HNS