Police have arrested five persons, including a local journalist, for their alleged involvement in planting an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the house of an election candidate in Kushma, the district headquarters of Parbat. 

A suspicious object, which was later confirmed as a socket bomb, was found in the house of Ram Chandra Joshi, the Nepali Congress’s mayoral candidate in Kushma, on Thursday evening. A Nepal Army team later defused the EID. 

The security personnel detained four district leaders of the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist in connection with the incident. The group’s district in-charge Om Bahadur Pun, adviser Om Prasad Panta, member Yangya Gautam and one Albert were held for investigation, police said. 

Gopal GC, the proprietor of local online portal Nabadrishti, was also arrested for his alleged involvement in abetting the suspects to plant the IED. All the suspects were remanded in custody for further investigation on Friday. 

Police said GC was held as the IED recovered from Joshi’s house resembled the picture that was posted on his portal on Wednesday. The online conversation between GC and suspected assailant is also under our control, police claimed. A detailed investigation into the incident is underway, said Inspector Madhukar Jung Bista. 

Public offence charge against Chand activists

GULARIYA: The District Police Office, Bardiya, filed a charge sheet against 13 leaders of Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist. The District Administration Office remanded them in custody for a week on Friday. The security personnel detained the Maoist leaders, including the district in-charge, on charge of carrying out anti-election activities on Thursday. They were detained while holding talks to disrupt the local level polls set for May 14.