Offices torched

POKHARA: An unidentified group on Saturday morning torched two offices, including the Bhadaure Tamagi VDC office in Kaski district. “A gang of six persons torched the office of Machhapuchchhre Development Association after sprinkling kerosene. The fire later spread to the VDC office,” said VDC secretary Gurudutta Poudel. “Six unidentified persons had stayed near the VDC office on Friday night. Perhaps, the same group torched the offices,” locals said. Furniture and documents in the offices were gutted, police said. — HNS

Eight hurt in clash

BUTAWAL: Eight trucks were vandalised and eight staffers of the trucks were injured in a clash that took place in Palpa on Saturday between a team of Holi revellers and truck workers. The incident took place at the Agaha river in Pipaldanda VDC of Palpa district, according to police. Following the clash, the truck workers blocked the Siddhartha Highway, demanding compensation. — RSS

‘Suspicious’ death

New Delhi: A Nepali national allegedly committed suicide here on Thursday. Arjun Chaudhari, 14, was working in the house of Jeevan Ghai in Majlispur of Mandi in Azadpur, committed suicide by hanging himself on Thursday, said Santosh Dhakal of the Maoist-affiliated People’s Right Protection Committee (PRPC). PRPC, saying that Chaudhari’s death was suspicious, has been staging a sit-in for three days outside the Azadpur police station demanding a probe into the incident. Arjun’s brother-in-law Bir Bahadur Chaudhari filed an application at the police station office saying there was no reason why Arjun would committe suicide. — HNS

Oil tankers’ entry

Birgunj: Some 75 tankers loaded with petroleum products entered Nepal via Birgunj customs point on Saturday. The tankers entered via the main road after locals obstructed the import of petroleum products at the Birgunj-Gandak Bypass last night. Import of petroleum products had come to a halt due to the border bandh and a transport strike called by the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF). Claiming that the MJF strike was ignored, MJF activists vandalised the windshield of a tanker at Maisthan of Birgunj. MJF cadres also vandalised 11 tankers carrying petroleum products at Parwanipur. The tankers had entered Nepal via Birgunj customs point on Saturday. — HNS

Rural exam centres

PYUTHAN: After five years, SLC examination centres are to be set-up in villages of the district this year. Following to SLC examination coordination committee’s recommendation in the Examination Control Office, four new SLC exam centres would be established in different schools situated in villages. However, the old centres will remain as usual. ANNISU-R was demanding to set-up SLC centres in the same centres where students gave SLC send-up examinations. — HNS

Pandey’s stand

RATNANAGAR: CPN-UML central member, Surendra Pandey has said that the party that would not accept a republic would vanish. Inaugurating the 23rd district convention of ANNFSU, Chitwan, at Baghauda on Saturday, Pandey accused the NC of working to save the king. He said that the parties that still support the king should be boycotted by people. — RSS

11 abductees freed

RAJBIRAJ: Activists of the Madhesi Tiger on Friday night freed 11 persons whom they had abducted from Koshi Tappu on Wednesday. They were freed in the presence of a journalist Pankaj Kumar Jha and a rights activist Jung Bahadur Singh. Issuing a press statement on Saturday central coordinator of the Madhesi Tiger, Rajan said they were taken under control to probe into the land encroachment in Koshi Tappu area. — HNS

1 held with fake notes

NEW DELHI: A Nepali national, Dhruv Malla, of Bara, was held with fake Indian Rs 30,000 here on Saturday, police said. Malla has been kept in Hauz Khas police station in southern Delhi. Police held him while he was purchasing goods with the fake Indian currency in Govindapur. — HNS