Police arrested four activists of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal in Sunsari district on Wednesday on assault and extortion charges.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Narayan Prasad Chimoriya, the CPN activists were detained after they attacked Aiyub Ansari, chief of Koshi Rural Municipality. The assailants assaulted Ansari as the latter refused to cough up the amount of money they had demanded.

Police nabbed CPN activists Yugal Rai, Rajendra Singh Bista, Mohan Karki and Laxman Karki. They were nabbed as they entered Ansari’s office and demanded a huge sum in “donation” identifying themselves as members of the CPN.

Ansari said the assailants thrashed him when he refused to pay them. “I survived the attack with the help of my friends,” said Ansari, demanding strong action against the suspects.

“An investigation is under way after taking them into judicial custody,” said DSP Chimoriya.

Elected representatives at the local units have been major target of the Chand-led CNP lately. The faction demands money and even threatens them to resign.

On Monday, the CPN sent letters to the chiefs of Siddhicharan Municipality and Manebhanjyang Rural Municipality in Okhaldhunga district, asking representatives at the local units to resign.

Police arrest six extortionists

The District Police Office Banke arrested six extortionists from different parts of the district on Wednesday night. Bijaya Prakash Shah of Surkhet, Keshraj Bhandari of Rapti Sonari in Banke, Bishnu Timilsina and Kushal Shrestha of Bharatpur in Chitwan, Asphak Siddiki of Nepalgunj and Ramesh Prasad Adhikari of Kohalpur were held for probe, said police. Superintendent of Police Tek Prasad Tamang said the accused were found extorting people by issuing threats over phone. Security personnel seized 12 SIM cards from the suspects who were made public on Thursday. (PR)