Kathmandu, April 6:

Human rights activists and the family members of the abducted Chief District Officer of Sarlahi, Bodhraj Adhikari, have called for his immediate release from Maoist captivity. Adhikari, according to his family, is a diabetic and a high blood pressure patient who has to remain on regular medication. The National Human Rights Commission vowed to strive to get the CDO and other abducted individuals freed.

“We urge the Maoists to free my husband,” said Champa Adhikari, wife of Bodhraj. She last spoke to him over phone last night. “He told me that the clash between the Maoists and security forces was going on (in Sarlahi) and that anything could happen,” she said at a press meet today. Urging the rebels to free Bodhraj and all the other captives, NHRC member Sudip Pathak assured that the commission would make every effort to free them from Maoist captivity.

Condemning the abduction, Dr Gopal Sivakoti, representative of HimRights, said that an eight-member team of the organisation had already proceeded to Sarlahi to probe the incident.

Activists warned the Maoists not to repeat their Dhankuta fiasco wherein an abducted high-ranking government official Prem Sapkota died due to lack of access to proper medication.

“We urge the Maoists to immediately release the abductees,” said Charan Prasai, chairman of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal.