Surkhet, March 14, 2008

Members of a gang who claimed they are cadres of Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League misbehaved with former minister Shiva Raj Joshi, including NC leaders and cadres, when they were in Surkhet’s Ghatgaun VDC, a three-hour walk from Babiyachaur, for poll campaigning last evening.

According to eyewitness, former minister of information and communications Joshi, who is a poll candidate under FPTP in Surkhet constituency no 3, among other NC cadres, were detained by the YCL cadres, saying that they entered the Maoists’ base area without permission.

Former central member of Nepal Students’ Union and student leader in Surkhet Dev Kumar Subedi said that the NC team, including cadres, were detained and the YCL cadres misbehaved with them. Khadag Basyal, a proportionate contestant, NC Mahasamiti member Padam Dev Giri, student leader Bhoj Raj Joshi and local leader Ram Prasad Timilsina, including Joshi, were held by a gang of 60 persons at 8:00 pm when they were preparing to have dinner at a local cadre Sudhir Prasad Khanal’s house.

“We have received the report that even foods and clothes were thrown away,” Subedi said. “We have not yet heard from them,” Subedi added. “They came into police contact and we received this news from the police.” Chief district officer in Surkhet Anil Kumar Pandey said that former minister Joshi has come into police contact at 3:00 pm today.

Five held for heist in envoy’s house

Kathmandu, March 14, 2008

Metropolitan Police yesterday evening arrested five persons from different places of the Valley for their alleged involvement in looting cash and valuables from the residence of Norwegian ambassador Tore Toreng on March 8 at Bhainsepati, Lalitpur.

Those arrested have been identified as Govinda Thapa Magar, 23, Lila Bahadur Thapa Magar, 22, Milan Bahadur Shrestha, 20 and Anjan Thapa Magar, 21, of Ramechhap and Suman Kunwar, 23, of Dolakha. “Eight persons were involved in the looting. Three of them are still at large,” joint commissioner SSP Upendra Kant Aryal at the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD), Hanumandhoka, said today adding: “They are professionals.” The police have seized two laptops, two cameras, a computer key board, ipod and its accessories, a watch, three pairs of shoes, a jacke and seven bead necklaces from them.

The police, however, failed to recover Rs 45,000, Euro 50 and $80. Aryal said the armed robbers planned the robbery at Bhainsepati one day before the incident happened.

“The house belonged to a jewellery trader and the robbers thought there might be ornaments in the house, but the embassy had rented the house from Mahesh Man Shrestha on Janaury. Shrestha himself was living in the house before then,” Aryal said.