The sources, however, declined to identify the camp where Panta has been hiding, saying the revelation of his exact whereabouts would make him flee again.Meanwhile, a meeting of the Cabinet earlier on Wednesday directed the Home Ministry to arrest Panta, who is a leader of the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union.
“We will have problem arresting Panta as he has been hiding in one of the YCL camps in Kathmandu,” said the sources, seeking anonymity. “If we try to make the arrest under the current circumstances, there will be a confrontation.”
Myrepublica.com learned about Panta hiding in one of the YCL camps soon after the Cabinet ordered the Home Ministry to initiate legal action against all those involved in the Himalmedia attack, including Panta.
However, YCL chief Ganesh Man Pun said that he had no information about Panta hiding in any of the YCL camps. “I have no idea about his whereabouts,” he said.
`Panta suspended from party`
In another development, Panta has been suspended from the CPN (Maoist) for his role in the attack on Himalmedia, according to Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a senior Maoist. Prime Minister and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had announced Panta’s suspension in the Cabinet meeting Wednesday morning.
A group of about 50 Maoists led by Panta had attacked Himalmedia office on Sunday, injuring six Himalmedia journalists and staffs and vandalizing newsrooms of the publication at Hattiban, Lalitpur. The attack has led Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) to launch nationwide protests and attracted national and international condemnations.
In the meantime, police has not yet begun any formal legal action against those involved in Sunday’s attack because the publications has not filed any formal complaint with police yet.
“No complaint has been filed yet. However, informal legal action against those involved in the attack has been initiated against the accused,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam said Wednesday.
Kanak Mani Dixit, publisher and editor of Himal Khabarpatrika, a fortnightly news magazine published by Himalmedia, said that the publications will file a formal complaint at Police Office in Satdobato at 11 a.m. Thursday.
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