Editors meet injured journalist

BIRATNAGAR, Aug 15: A delegation of newspaper editors visited Kishor Budathoki, the Annapurna Post reporter of Sankhuwasabha who was severely injured in an attack by hooligans, at Nobel Medical College Hospital Monday.

Dr Abul Kalam briefed the delegation about the health and treatment of Budathoki. He said that the deep cuts on the stabbed parts have developed some normal infection.[break] "Infection developed because of poor stitching of the wounds but the infection would be cured soon." he added.

The assailant´s manifold brushes with laws

Bikash Rai, one of the two goons who assaulted Budathoki, is found to have been involved several incidents of public offence.

Police records of the last three and a half years show at least three cases in which he was accused but was released on bail, and a number of other such cases that ended in reconciliation between him and the victims concerned.

Very lately, he was arrested and prosecuted after he attacked an ambulance driver in February. He had hit on the driver´s head with a beer bottle. He was released on a bail worth Rs 28, 250 coupled with a condition of footing the medical bills.

Rai has been at large after assaulting Budathoki last week. Meanwhile, a compliant of murder attempt has been lodged against him by the Sankhuwasabha chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ).

Rai seems to be as ruthless in his family as he is in the public. He was detained by police three times within this year for bashing up his wife. "But he made peace with his wife each time," said Inspector Mahendra Karki of District Police Office. "We cannot do anything when they reconcile."

Rai, who has a general level of literacy, enjoys ample notoriety in his neighborhood for his unsocial, uncouth and criminal behaviors. "In rural areas, people do not tend to take the disputes to the police as far as possible, and that´s actually what has inspired Rai to go about his misdemeanors," said FNJ Sankhuwasabha president Shyam Niraula.

Rai had migrated from Diding VDC to the district headquarters Khandbari.

Insec district in-charge Prem Karki said the overall situation of impunity has given birth to characters like Rai. "He has gone scot free in so many offences and a few cases of arresting and releasing on bail do not deter him," he said.

Inspector Karki said the village of Diding has been cordoned off and regularly searched as Rai has been reported to be taking shelter there in night-time these days.