Former Prime Ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai earlier today went to Bir Hospital, where the couple—Nanda Prasad Adhikari and his wife Ganga Maya of Gorkha district, have been staging hunger strike for nearly five months, and urged the couple to end their hunger strike. The former prime ministers reached Bir Hospital shortly after PM Koirala emerged from the hospital after visiting the couple.

In response, the obstinate couple said they would end their fast only after the government arrested all those involved in the 2004 murder of their son and initiated legal action against them.

Earlier this month, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam had urged the couple to end their hunger strike, assuring them of justice.

It's been 47 days since the couple resumed their strike. Their condition is deteriorating. The former prime ministers also held talks with the Vice Chancellor of Bir Hospital.  

In September last year, the couple had ended their strike on the 47th day following the arrest of one of the accused and the pledge for a thorough investigation. But they resumed the strike after a prime suspect was released.

It has been learnt that the police on Thursday arrested two of the accused in the murder of Adhikari.

Nineteen-year-old Krishna Adhikari, of Fujel in Gorkha, was abducted from Bakulahar chowk in Ratnanagar Municipality, Chitwan, on June 2004 by the then rebel Maoists. He was killed the next day.