Police foil parties’ mass meeting, hundreds arrested

Arresting hundreds of leaders and protesters including Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala Thursday afternoon, police foiled the parties’ mass meeting slated for today.

Agitating parties had announced a mass meeting at the Ratnapark intersection despite prohibitory orders issued by the government. Today is the 8th day of the prohibitory orders announced by the government and the 15th day of party protests.

Leaders of the agitating parties such as Ramchandra Poudel ,Govinda Raj Joshi, Lila Koirala, Nona Koirala, Arjun Narsingh KC, Ram Krishna Tamrakar, Baldev Sharma Majgaiya, Bal Bahadur Rai ,Ishwor Pokhrel, Amrit Bohora, Shankar Pokhrel, Keshav Badal, Bhim Rawal, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Lilamni Pokharel and Anandadevi among others, were arrested in course of the protests. Most of the arrested leaders are reported to have been taken to the Armed Police Force headquarters, Halchowk.

When Nepalnews called NC headquarters, we were told NC President Girija Prasad Koirala has been taken to his residence at Maharajgunj. 

The party cadres, however, foiled the security force’s attempt to arrest UML’s Madhav Kumar Nepal, People’s Front Nepal’s Amik sherchan and Nepal Peasants’ and Farmers’ Party’s Narayan Man Bijukuchhe. They have been taken to different hotels in Bagbazaar, our Nepalnews correspondent at the scene reported. 

As earlier, students and police are still (at 4:45 pm) pelting stones at each other. Skirmishes between the police and the protesters are ongoing at Bag Bazaar. 

NC leader, Ram Sharan Mahat, speaking to the protesters urged them not to be afraid as, “They (the protesters) had already defeated regression.” Mahat further suggested the King not go against the tide and the streets and the country would remain unstable “until the King corrects regression.” Party cadres took Mahat into a hotel in Bagbazaar.

Meanwhile, the police also arrested some 100 professors in Kathmandu. They were expressing their solidarity to the ongoing agitation. The police is also reported to have detained over 20 human right activists from a sit-in protest organized by Human Rights and Peace Society in the capital on Thursday.

In the meantime, the government Wednesday evening released three student leaders who had been handed warrants for violating the Public Security Act earlier this week. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04 

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Two militants killed in Nuwakot

At least two Maoist militants were killed in a security operation in Bageshwori VDC, Nuwakot Thursday. 

According to reports, security forces shot and killed the Maoists at Chokate area this morning as they attempted to run away when asked to surrender. The dead have been identified as Badri Dhakal, an area commander and Mukund. 

Meanwhile, three bodies of unidentified persons were recovered from three different places of Kapilbastu district on Wednesday. Reports quoting security sources said the Maoists might have killed them after abduction. nepalnews.com mbk April 15 04

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Blast at KMC ward office

Suspected Maoists detonated a bomb at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City ward No 6 office at Bouddha Thursday. 

Eyewitnesses said the blast occurred at 10am soon after three suspicious persons went out of the office. Furniture and documents were destroyed while four rooms of the building have been badly damaged. 

Nobody was hurt in the blast, police said. nepalnews.com mbk April 15 04 

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Two Nepali army men die in Congo

Two Nepali army men working at UN peace keeping missions in Congo died in a road accident on Monday, reports said Thursday.

One of the dead have been identified as Ek Bahadur, while the second's name was not immediately available, Annapurna daily quoting security sources said. According to reports, five more Nepali army men sustained injuries in the accident. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04

Police officers to be jailed

The Regional Police Special Court, Patan Wednesday announced imprisonment and fines against junior police officers who disappeared during their deployment at UN peace keeping missions in various countries, a report said Thursday.

The bench of Judges Mohan Bahadur Karki, Sthaneswor Devkota and Keshav Adhikari issued the verdict on Wednesday, Spacetime daily said. 

The guilty police officers are Maniram Lamichhane, Ranjanchandra Shrestha, Devnarayan Chaudhari, Bidhyadhar Adhikari, Tirtha Narayan Maharjan, Premsingh Gurung, Ganga Bahadur Rana and Haris Chand.

Maharjan, Gurung, Rana and Chand were deployed as security personnel in the UN peace keeping mission last year in East Timor, Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia respectively. They are still reported missing. The Special Court has announced a two-year imprisonment and one year's salary as fines.

Similarly, the Police Special Court has announced one-year imprisonment to Lamichhane, Shrestha, Chaudhari and Adhikari. They are reported to have returned from the UN mission, but have not reported to duty. 

The guilty police officers will automatically be dismissed from their jobs, the daily added. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04 

Maoists abduct over 60 teachers in Taplejung

Over 60 teachers from Singam VDC in Taplejung district were abducted by armed Maoist rebels on Tuesday to force them to participate in the ‘peoples’ oriented education’ campaign, reports said. 

The Maoists, according to the reports, abducted the teachers from their respective houses while they were celebrating the new-year. When contacted, Police Sub-Inspector (SI)  Ramsharan Chaudhari had no information regarding the teachers’ abduction in Singam VDC of the district, the Annapurna Daily said. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04

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RNA appoints new spokesperson 

The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) Tuesday appointed Brigadier General Rajendra Thapa as its new spokesperson, reports said. 

Brig Gen Thapa has been in the RNA for the last 34 years in different posts and was Commander of Infantry Brigade No 7 before he was appointed as Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) chief on Tuesday. He did a Command and General Staff course in the US in 1982 and also served as Nepal 's Military Attaché to the then USSR from 1986 to 1989.  

According to the RNA headquarters, Colonel Dipak Kumar Gurung, the erstwhile spokesperson of the RNA, will be the deputy spokesperson. nepalnews.com pd Apr 15 04

Maoists to release Ilam captives within two weeks

Maoists have said they would soon release 42 policemen captured during an attack on a police post in Pashupatinagar, Ilam, reports Wednesday said. 

According to Nepal One TV, Taplejung People’s Government of the CPN-Maoist has said that the hostages would be released by the end of April during the presence of human rights activists and journalists. 

The rebels, report said, have also claimed that the captives are being treated in line with the Geneva Convention. 

In a fierce attack on Pashupatinagar Area Police Office on April 9, the Maoists had killed two policemen including an Inspector abducting 42 others. nepalnews.com mbk April 14 04  

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Agitating parties vow to intensify stir

Five agitating political parties Wednesday said they were going to intensify their anti-regression movement.

A meeting of top leaders of the five-party alliance held this morning at the office of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) ended with an announcement that the ongoing movement would intensify until the regression comes to an end. 

Leaders came down heavily against the government saying the clampdown on peaceful protests were part of a serious conspiracy.

“The government is vainly trying to go against the tide. Its attempts will never succeed,” Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala said while talking to the media after the meeting. He added that the arrests and the treatment against detainees was a result of a defeatist mentality of the government.  

The NC veteran also blamed the government of infiltrating unruly elements into the protests in a bid to defame the parties.

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal informed that the meeting discussed the participation of Nepali Congress (Democratic) and United Left Front in the movement.  Amik Sherchan, chairman, People’s Front Nepal (PFN) revealed that the NC has emerged more flexible on the issue than before.

Condemning the government’s decision to issue detention notices to PFN and Nepal Students Union’s leaders, the five-party meeting demanded that the government release them immediately. nepalnews.com mbk April 14 04

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Nepal, India to begin joint patrolling

Nepali and Indian security officials in Raxaul Tuesday agreed to enhance joint patrolling in the bordering areas to control Maoists’ infiltration to India during the Lok Sabha elections, reports said Wednesday.

According to reports, the Maoists’ activities have increased in India after the arrest of Maoists leader Mohan Baidhya. Baidhya was arrested on March 29 in northern India. 

Security officials including Chief District Officers of Rautahat, Sarlahi, Parsa, Bara, Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts attended the meeting while District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of east and west Champaran and custom officials of Raxaul represented the Indian side, The Kantipur daily said Wednesday.

Nepalis and Indian officials also agreed to control other border-based crimes in the areas, it is reported.

Lok Sabha elections is slated for April 26 in India. nepalnews.com pd Apr 14 04