Kathmandu, February 2:

Two separate teams of the National Human Rights Commission and the Informal Sector Service Centre today reached Palpa for an investigation into the Maoist attack on Palpa district headquarters, Tansen, on Tuesday.

Calling on the Maoists to treat the abductees as per the Geneva Convention and release them immediately, the NHRC said it is ready to “facilitate” the abductees’ release.

“We are ready to facilitate the release of the abducted individuals and we are ready to get them safely,” said Sudip Pathak, NHRC member. The rebels reportedly abducted twenty eight security forces, six civilians, chief district officer of Palpa Lakshman Thapa, local development officer and an intelligence officer following the attack.

A team led by NHRC member Ram Dayal Ra-kesh has already reached Palpa to probe whether human rights were violated in the attack, said Pathak at a programme at the Reporters Club today.

Similarly, Subodh Pyakurel, INSEC chairman, said one of the teams has already reached Palpa while the other team is on its way to the spot. “I hope human rights activists will be able to get the abducted individuals released soon,” he said urging the Maoists to respect the Geneva Convention.