Journalist abduction case: NHRC report, too, points finger at Maoists

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has claimed in its detailed report made public Thursday that the Maoist cadres were involved in the abduction and subsequent disappearance of Bara-based journalist Birendra Shah.

Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Kedar Nath Upaddhaya (center) and other members at a press conference organised in Kathmandu to release a report on the abduction of journalist Birendra Shah of Bara, Thursday, Nov 01 07. nepalnews.com/rh

“On the basis of information we have gathered through our investigation it has been found that district level leaders and activists of CPN-Maoist party Kundan Faujdar and Ram Ekwal Sahani had abducted journalist Birendra Kumar Shah after deceitfully taking him to a nearby jungle in their motorcycle saying that he was needed to cover some news there. Lal Bahadur Chaudhari and Hareram Patel were also directly involved in the abduction, “ the report said in its conclusion after putting out the events that led into the abduction of journalist Shah.

The report also found that the concerned government agencies hadn’t taken sufficient initiatives for appropriate legal actions against the guilty and for the safe release of the abducted journalist. The report suggests that necessary arrangements be made for this at the earliest.

The NHRC report also called upon the Maoists to disclose the whereabouts and the condition of Shah at the earliest and extend all the necessary help in taking legal action against those guilty in the case.

Earlier, different media groups had reported the Maoist involvement in the Shah's abduction.

Conceding that local party cadres were involved in the abduction, the Maoist leadership on Wednesday assured that facts related to the case would be brought out within four days.nepalnews.com ag Nov 1 07