Students affiliated to the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist at Lamki Multiple Campus in Kailali have been suspected behind the disappearance of the campus chief, Bhishma Thapa, and the assistant chief, Kamal Bista. 

Thapa and Bista are out of contact since 3pm Wednesday, said Police Inspector Nara Bahadur Saud, adding that there were no signs of them until late evening. 

Rumour around the campus is that the duo was abducted by the students representing the All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) in a bid to stop the upcoming election of the Free Student Union (FSU). 

Debananda Jaishi, chairman of the campus management committee, said there was a strong chance that Thapa and Bista were abducted by the Maoist students, who have been trying to foil the student union elections.

Jhalak BK, a leader of the ANNISU-R, however, dismissed the rumour. He claimed that he had no knowledge about the incident.

Police has not entirely ruled out the abduction angle in the case. 

Inspector Saud said that both Thapa’s and Bista’s motorcycles were still on the campus premises and their mobile phones switched off.

Students torch chair of campus chief 

DAMAK: The ANNISU-R students at Damak Multiple Campus in Jhapa torched the chair of the campus chief, Uttam Bhattarai, on Wednesday. Six days ago, the same group of students had padlocked Bhattarai’s office to press their demand of stopping the upcoming FSU poll. They set fire to Bhattarai’s chair on Wednesday after the campus administration broke the padlock.