Police in Jhapa have arrested three people, including an employee of the District Administration Office (DAO), on abduction and hostage-taking charges.  

Police on Monday said the DAO employee, Tejendra Neupane of Bhadrapur -7,  Ajaya Rai of Bahundangi, and Prem Neupane of Bhadrapur-7 were arrested on Sunday. The trio and two other suspects, who are at large, had kidnapped Jiban Bista of Shanischare on January 25 and held him captive for 10 days in a hotel room. 

Bista was released after he was made to sign a deed to transfer his land at Anarmani-4. The land had been transferred to Neupane’s name on February 2.

Police are after two other suspects, one of them a journalist and the other a cadre of a political party, said Superintendent of Police Shailesh Thapa. He added that some employees at the District Land Revenue Office were also being investigated.