Kathmandu, June 27, 2007

Former chairman of Small and Cottage Industries Development Bank, Sitaram Prasain, today failed to post a bail of Rs 18 million set by the Kathmandu District Court (KDC).

The Kathmandu District Government Attorney’s Office (KDGAO) had filed a corruption case in the KDC against Prasain and 48 others on June 20.

Six different benches of judges Bir Bahadur Dangi, Sushmalata Mathema, Prem Raj Dhakal, Narayan Prasad Dahal, Tej Bahadur Karki and Shiv Narayan Yadav set the bail amount following a hearing that started yesterday. The government attorney had chargesheeted the 49 after Prasain was caught and handed over to the police by the Young Communist League in connection with a bank default case some weeks ago.

“As Prasain failed to post the bail due to time constraints, we sent him to jail today. We will give him more time to post the bail tomorrow,” KDC Registrar Krishna Ram Koirala said. He said the court would start proceedings on the others from tomorrow.

Among the others accused in the case are bank promoters DB Gurung, Basudev Giri, Jang Bahadur Shrestha, Salikram Mathema, Bhagwat Shrestha, Kailash Bhakta Karanjit, Him Gurung and Sunil Gurung.

Also chargesheeted were Nepal Rastra Bank’s evaluators Narayan Babu Lohani, Binod Dawadi, Pramod Bahadur Thapa, Monalisha Silpakar, Purusottam Sharma and Kanchan Parajuli Prasain’s lawyers Madhav Banskota and Bhim Banjara said that their client would soon post the bail.

Basantapur sees a unique test of nerves

Kathmandu, June 27, 2007

It’s a test of nerves now. Between an “ultra-Puritanical” committee members and a bunch of love-smitten or calf-love-smitten youth. The former, on Tuesday, pasted a notice banning “immoral activities” like kissing on the temple premises at Hanumandhoka Durbar Square area. The latter just tore it away.

Historical temples at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square area, which have been a safe haven and much more for lovebirds may cease to be that, if Tuesday’s ban on ‘immoral’ activities of the youth, issued by the main committee of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Hanumandhoka Durbar Area Conservation Programme (KHDACP) takes effect.

Scenes of youths kissing and hugging each other have been a common sight on the premises of the temples of the Hanumandhoka durbar square, especially during the morning and evening hours. Youths are even seen taking illegal drugs there.

Member secretary of the main committee of KHDACP Raju Shrestha said the environment of the world heritage site has been spoilt due to such ‘immoral’ activities that created havoc in society and therefore the committee decided to issue the notice to discourage youths from indulging in such activities.