Parshuram still defiant, turns on Mahara

KATHMANDU, June 22: Parshuram Basnet, who is accused of masterminding a murderous attack on journalist Khilanath Dhakal, has challenged the government and said he wouldn´t cooperate with the police investigation. Basnet said he wouldn´t present himself before the police as he has no trust in the home ministry as it is headed by a Maoist leader.



"I am living in a safe place because I don´t believe I´ll get a fair and unbiased treatment from the police and the home ministry that is headed by Krishna Bahadur Mahara of the Maoist party, which is a safe haven for those who were involved in hundreds of murders, abductions and inhuman activities," Basnet said in a statement.[break]



He said he is ready to participate in any judicial probe. He claimed there was no involvement of his party CPN-UML and its youth organization Youth Association Nepal in the attack.



In Biratnagar, police are making final preparations to file a murder case against Parshuram Basnet for leading the attack on Abhisek Giri, who is serving a jail term, in the court premises. A gang of ruling CPN-UML´s youths led by Basnet attacked Giri while the latter was being taken to the court around three weeks ago.



"The investigation in this case is near complete and we are going to file attempted murder case against all the assailants including Parshuram within a day or two," said Superintendent of Police (SP) Pradumna Karki, chief of the Morang district police office.



"No criminal will be spared," he said. He also informed that the police are ready to file the attempted murder case against all of them. Earlier, the police registered a public offence case against the assailants except Parshuram. The police had earlier registered a public offence case with the intention of weakening the case against Parshuram as he had a nexus with DSP Sahakul Thapa, who was later transferred out of the district.



When Giri´s wife Anisha lodged a complaint against 26 assailants including Parshuram, Thapa had reportedly put pressure on her to remove Parshuram´s name from the list of accused. Thapa and four other police personnel are now under investigation.



Republica correspondent Khilanath Dhakal was attacked for publishing news reports about the same attack. Giri needed 10 stitches in his head after the attack.



Bar Association to support, Dhakal, FNJ



Nepal Bar Association (NBA) on Tuesday decided to send a team led by a senior advocate to Biratnagar to provide legal support to journalist Dhakal. NBA also expressed solidarity with Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) which has launched an agitation against the government demanding that the assailants be brought to book.



"We are supporting the FNJ because this movement is in fact for the rule of law and freedom of expression," NBA president Prem Bahadur Khadka said at a meeting with FNJ central committee on Tuesday.



FNJ condemns Mahesh Basnet´s statement



Meanwhile, Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) condemned the statement by Youth Association Nepal (YAN) president Mahesh Basnet who in an interview with a television channel had claimed that YAN and FNJ had reached an understanding on the matter.



"We clarify that there is no meaning of any talks with Basnet, who has been repeatedly giving statements of protecting the mastermind of the attack," FNJ said in its statement.



Meanwhile, journalists in Dharan, Inaruwa and Itahari marched on the streets holding candles on Tuesday evening demanding action against those involved in attacking Dhakal.

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