Bomb goes off

BARA: A pressure cooker bomb went off near a petrol pump at Nijgarh bazaar of Bara on Wednesday, said the Bara District Police Office. The locals are terrified after the explosion. No loss of life or injury was reported in the blast, police said, adding that investigation was on. — HNS

Body of child found

Pokhara: The body of Purna Prasad Gaudel, a child who had been missing for the past two-and-a-half months after being pushed off a steep hill facing the Seti river, was found on Wednesday. Purna and his sister Mamata (8) were pushed into the river near Pokhara airport by Jal Bahadur Gurung on October 8. Mamata escaped, as she fell on a bush. “The body was identified with the help of boy’s clothes,” police said. The body was handed over to Purna’s father, Muktinath. — HNS

Pradhan for accord

KATHMANDU: CWIN president Gauri Pradhan, who has been appointed a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said on Wednesday that he would re-think on joining the commission unless there is a consensus among the eight political parties and civil society. “I may re-think on joining the post if there is no consensus among the eight political parties,” Pradhan said. He said that a prestigious institution like the NHRC should be free from controversy and it should be made apolitical. — HNS

Scribes beaten up

TAPLEJUNG: A group beat up journalists Rajendra Shrestha and Kamal Bhattarai at Shanti tole in Taplejung on Tuesday, eyewitnesses said, alleging Bijay Thalang of Sanwa VDC was among the assailants. “They first beat up Rajendra Shrestha, Taplejung correspondent of Blast daily. Kamal, a local journalist, was also beaten up as he tried to save Rajendra,” the eyewitnesses said. The Taplejung chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists has condemned the attack on journalists. Issuing a statement today, it demanded that the assailants be punished. Acting DSP of Taplejung Nara Hari Regmi also condemned the attack. Police are looking for the assailants, he said. — HNS

Students on warpath

GAIGHAT: Students on Wednesday staged a chakkajam in the district headquarters of Udaypur, demanding action against Nepal Army personnel who misbehaved with a student. A soldier posted in the No 18 Brigade of NA beat up Suresh Guragain, a Class XII student of Triyuga Janata Campus on Wednesday morning when Guragain was teaching in Satyadevi School at Triyuga municipality. The irate students organised a chakkajam since 3 pm and also chanted slogans against the NA. — HNS