KATHMANDU: Police arrested eight persons for their alleged involvement in the murder of CPN-UML-aligned Youth Association Nepal leader Durga Tiwari in Devdaha of Rupandehi district on December 19, 2016.

Organising a press meet, police paraded the suspects.

The District Police Office also said Manoj Pun masterminded the murder.

Pun and his three accomplices are on the run.

SP Rabindra Dhanuk said preliminary investigations revealed that the murder was a result of personal revenge.

Dhanuk also suspected that robbery might also be a motive behind the murder.

The suspects have been identified as Basanta Bahadur Chapagain (31) of Devdaha Municipality-6, Buddhi Bahadur Yadav (24) and Rajesh Yadav (24) of Tilottama Municipality-15, Khemananda Bhattarai aka Prayas (33) of Tilottama Municipality-8, Sagar Thapa (23) of Devdaha Municipality-8, Angad Tharu (28) of Dhakdhai in Rupandehi district, Risheshwor Kumal (28) of Devdaha Municipality-9 and Rojan Gurung (30), Devdaha Municipality-6 in Rupandehi district.

Meanwhile, SP Dhanuk said all the absconding suspects would be brought to book soon.

Earlier, Tiwari, the district chief of UML's youth wing, was shot dead by an unidentified gang in Devdaha Municipality-8 on December 19.

(With inputs from the Rastriya Samachar Samiti)