I will play the "devil's advocate" and say it's too simplistic to blame the Maoists for this reprehensible act. Sure the Maoists are violent savages but the RNA fares no better. In fact, the RNA is responsible for more civilian deaths than the Maoists during this 10-year long insurgency [this is not my opinion but the opinions of independent observers]. You will find interesting anecdotes on the RNA?s savagery from Kalikot district in Manjushree Thapa's Book "Forget Kathmandu". As far as I know, the Maoists tend to deliberately kill innocent civilians in a "political context" i.e if they (1) disobey bands [remember blowing up of trucks and tankers] (2) pass information on Maoists whereabouts [happens all the time in villages across Nepal] (3) are known for being "samantis" [like Padit Pokhrel] (4) are government appointees [such as Bhagwan Das Shrestha] (5) refuse Maoists extortions. Today's act does not fit any of those criteria. I don't see any political context there and the Maoists don't score any points from such heinous act. If Maoists are in fact responsible, it is possible, as an Indian analyst pointed out in a BBC interview today, that they were targeting military vehicles but hit the bus accidentally BUT I THINK IS VERY UNLIKELY. The Maoists are more sophisticated than that. This act has to be seen in the political context. At this hour, Girija chor is in New Delhi sucking up to Man Mohan Singh and Chandra Sekhar. Dim-witted Bam Dev Gautam has also arrived there after bluffing Nepali CIDs carrying a mandate from the lefties. And the savage called Babu Ram Bhattarai reportedly has been transported there by the RAW. There are rumors flying around that the Maoists and the political parties are negotiating to form an alliance with India's blessing to unseat the feudal monarch. The monarchists are genuinely worried about that possibility. If the right-wing elements in Nepal follow this logic, they have every reason to create a schism between the Maoists and the parties WHAT IS A BETTER WAY THAN TO BLOW UP A BUS FULL OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND BLAME THE MAOISTS. Such evil act won't be out of the ordinary for the current regime in Kathmandu. Remember when a Gulf newspaper first reported about Babu Ram and Krishna Prasad Mahara's sojourn in New Delhi, the RNA quickly released a tape about Prachanda blaming Babu Ram for being India?s lackey - that was intended to create a schism between the Maoists and India but instead backfired because Indian security establishment was pissed off with RNA. Also remember, today is couple of days after the 4th anniversary of the PALACE incident. People in Nepal still think that it was Gyane behind it. IF GYANE CAN KILL THE ENTIRE FAMILY OF HIS BROTHERS TO ADVANCE HIS POWERS, IT WON'T BE SURPRISING IF HE BLEW UP A BUS FULL OF INNOCENT NEPALESE TO ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL. The only way to find the truth is through an unfettered, independent investigation. In Nepal's context that's very very unlikely.