BHOJPUR: Federal Socialist Party and Khas Inclusive Party announced their merger in Bhojpur on Sunday. A press meet organised in Bhojpur headquarters informed that Federal Socialist Forum Nepal Bhojpur District Ad hoc Committee was formed after the merger. Ashok Kumar Rai was unanimously elected Chairperson of the Ad hoc committee that has 101 members. The Ad hoc committee comprises 11 vice-chairpersons, three secretaries, and one sub-secretary. According to chairperson Rai, the united party is preparing to organise a district conference in the near future.

Officer humiliated

CHITWAN: Alleging anomalies in the purchase of vehicle and land, activists of Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist smeared soot on the face of Narayan Prasad Sapkota, executive officer of Bharatpur Sub-metropolis on Sunday. The incident occurred in Sapkota’s office. CPN Maoist Chitwan district Secretary Mahesh Chaudhary said they had smeared soot on Sapkota in order to serve him a warning against his involvement in corruption. The party accused Sapkota of shielding corrupt employees and bypassing honest ones, procuring vehicle worth millions of rupees, embezzling fund while buying land for the sub-metropolis, among others. Citing irregularity in the procurement of land and vehicle for the sub-metropolis, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal have been boycotting all the meetings called by Sapkota.

Kidnapper paraded

JHAPA: Jhapa Police paraded a kidnapper on Sunday. Saru Tamang aka Bunu, 23, of Dharampur VDC, Jhapa was held for her alleged involvement in abducting Sunil Kumar Bindal, a cardamom trader of Birtamode, six months ago in the district. Police paraded her at a press meet at District Police Office. According to District Police Office Jhapa Spokesperson Bishwomani Pokhrel, Bindal was kidnapped by a group of six persons, including his friend Bajaranga Pansari, for a huge ransom on February 1. Police had rescued Bindal five days after his abduction from Dharampur. Bajaranga Pansari of Mechinagar municiplaity, Keshav Phuyal of Birtamode, Raj Kumar Thapa and Faud Singh Taman of Assam, India, along with Bhuwan Karki of Dharampur have been arrested for their involvement in the abduction.

Held with bribe

MAHENDRANAGAR: Commission for the Investigation of Abuse and Authority arrested an employee of the Mahakali Zonal Transportation Management Office with bribe money. Office Assistant Bhim Bhatta, was held with 38,000 rupees bribe money received from service seekers. Acting on a tip-off, a team from the CIAA far-west regional office of Mahendranagar reached the office and held Bhatta at about 11:00am on Sunday. CIAA sources said investigation was under way. Bhatta is accused of receiving bribe in return for obliging service seekers who had failed the driving licence test.