Suspected burial site of Maoist slain journalist found

With the initiative of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and local residents, burial place believed to be of Dekendra Thapa, a journalist slain by the Maoists has been found.

The grave is at a distance of 150 m from Nepal Primary School at Dwari VDC-1 in Dailekh district. A local villager had spotted the suspected burial site.

FNJ has requested concerned authorities for exhumation of the remains of the dead body. The Maoists, then underground, killed Thapa, reporter of the state-own Radio Nepal in 2004.

Abducted from Chhanna Bazaar of Bhawani VDC-4 on June 26, 2004, after a discussion with Maoists over a local dispute, Thapa was kept at Nepal Primary School, tortured and then killed on August 10.

Widow of slain journalist Laxmi has asked the regional office of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at Nepalgunj for the exhumation and DNA test for identification. nepalnews.com ia June 18 08