Shrestha’s kin-called Bandha hits normal life in capital

KATHMANDU, May 21 - Normal life has been paralysed in the capital on Wednesday due to the ‘valley bandha’ called by the agitating relatives of slain businessman Ram Hari Shrestha.

The city wore a deserted look since vehicular movement came to a grinding halt.
Academic institutions and market places remained closed due to the strike.
The local residents of Koteshwor and late Shrestha’s kin have been carrying out protest demonstrations in the capital since Friday condemning the CPN-Maoist for the incident.
Businessman Shrestha’s murder took a mysterious turn after a doctor at Chitwan Medical College yesterday revealed that he died at the hospital and not on the way to the capital as had been stated publicly by the Maoists.
Earlier, the Maoists had said that Shrestha died at midnight on May 10 on the Bhaludhunga section of the Mugling-Narayan highway on the way to the capital for treatment.
This contradicts with the account made public yesterday by Bhoj Raj Adhikari, a doctor at the Medical College who was engaged in treating Shrestha.
On Sunday, Maoist Chairman Prachanda had issued a statement based on the report prepared by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) men denying any link to Shrestha’s murder.
Shrestha was reportedly abducted, tortured and killed by PLA men at Shaktikhor cantonment in Chitwan district which is still under round-the-clock supervision by UNMIN.