A day after journalist Uma Singh was hacked to death by an unidentified gang in southern town of Janakpur, the president of a leading journalists' association and an international media rights watchdog has suspected Maoists' involvement in the incident.

Uma Singh Photo Source: bbc.co.uk

Dharmendra Jha, president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), told Press Trust of India (PTI) Tuesday that he suspected Maoist hand in the gruesome murder of the Janakpur-based journalist Sunday night.

"We may suspect Maoist hand in her (Singh's) death if we go through her family's past background. Her father and elder brother were abducted by the Maoists and murdered later on," Jha told PTI.

Singh's father Ranjit Singh and elder brother Sanjay Singh were allegedly abducted by Maoists three years ago and since then the family haven't heard about them. Authorities say the father-son duo may have already been killed.

The local Maoist leadership has denied any involvement in the abduction of Singh's family.

Following the incident Uma Singh left her hometown Mirchaiya in Siraha district and moved to Janakpur where she started working for an FM radio station. She mainly reported on women's rights and spoke out against the dowry system.

Similarly, Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), a Paris-based international media watchdog, said in a statement issued Monday that it was "shocked and horrified" by the brutal murder of the 26-year-old woman journalist. The media rights watchdog also alleged that some of the attackers could be linked to the ruling Maoist party.

"Our first thoughts are with her family and friends. We ask the authorities to react quickly and to do their utmost to protect journalists in Nepal and to quickly arrest this group of killers," RSF said.

In the same vein, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal deplored the murder of journalist Singh and called on Nepal Police to conduct "a prompt and thorough investigation into her death, to identify those responsible and bring them to justice."

In a statement issued Monday, OHCHR-Nepal also urged government authorities to swiftly investigate and prosecute death threats and an apparent attempt to attack another woman journalist in Janakpur the same night.

"Doing so will send a strong message that there will be no impunity for attacks against the media, nor for any serious crimes. OHCHR-Nepal calls on all sectors of Nepali society to respect freedom of opinion and the rights of journalists," the statement reads.

Uma Singh is the fourth journalist to be murdered after the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) between the government and the Maoists signed in November 2006.

Previously, Maoist cadres were found involved in the murder of Bara-based journalist Birendra Shah, Prakash Singh Thakuri of Kanchanpur and Jagat Joshi of Kailali. nepalnews.com ag Jan 13 08