“We have asked them to conduct an investigation after the Special Committee directed the secretariat to probe the incident,” said Balananda Sharma, convener of the secretariat. [break]
According to Sharma, the secretariat had earlier submitted its initial report on the incident. He said the issue should be handled by law enforcing agencies rather than the secretariat. “It is now a legal case,” Sharma said.
Meanwhile, Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), human rights NGO, has expressed concern over the involvement of combatants, who are supposed to stay in cantonments, in the beating local youths and has demanded legal action against the guilty.
“There should be an immediate investigation and the guilty should be punished as per the existing laws,” said Subodh Raj Pyakurel, chairperson of INSEC.
INSEC has also urged the UCPN (M) to abide by the rule of law and respect past agreements on peace process.
This is the third such incident in which the Maoists have been accused of beating the general public. Similar incidents were reported in Dahaban, Rolpa and Shaktikhor, Chitwan after United Nations Mission in Nepal left in mid-January this year. No accused have been brought to justice yet.
Though the secretariat had asked Maoist representative Chandra Prakash Khanal to probe the incident, he is yet to submit the investigation report. Khanal was not available for comments.
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