However, he sustained only minor injuries from the attack. [break]
Bastola, who underwent medical treatment at Bidhapur Health Post, believes he was attacked for advocating justice for the family of the late Surya Poudel, an insurgency era victim. He had published his concern for Poudel´s family in Surkhet Pahichan, a Surkhet-based daily newspaper.
"They were irate over my published concern. I tried to calm them, saying we could talk things over but they kept bashing me with iron rods and I finally lost consciousness," said Bastola.
Bastola informed that he had received a threatening telephone call from an unindentified person in the afternoon before he was attacked. "I had unearthed an issue over which I demanded justice for victims of the insurgency period who were victimized and killed. I know this was the motive behind the attack," he said.
According to Bastola, he was set upon while returning home from Birendranagar around 7 P.M. "Two of them blindfolded me from behind and the other two kept bashing me with rods. I would have died if I had not covered my head," he said.
Bastola has already arrived in Kathmandu after receiving medical treatment. "The dreadful moment of the attack is still clear in my mind. I was never so scared, not even during the insurgency period," he further said.
Surkhet district chief of Human Rights Alliance, Tikaram Acharya, has condemned the incident and demanded stern action against the attackers.
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