SURKHET, May 30: Police have yet to make any arrests despite identifying the persons involved in setting three buildings of Indian power developer GMR--which is currently carrying out construction of Upper Karnali Hydropower Project--in Paltada area of Dailekh district on fire last Sunday.
The locals have accused Maoist cadres Binny Shahi of Chamunda and Dirgha Bahadur Shahi of Layanta of arson in their statements to the police. [break]
But police claimed lack of formal complaint by the company has delayed arrests. “They have not lodged any formal complaint and this has made it difficult for us to arrest the culprits,” a police officer with Daiekh Police said. The fact that the persons are Maoists, the officer claimed, has also further delayed procedures.
Maoist politburo member and Seti-Mahakali state committee in-charge Dharmendra Bastola hailed the attack on GMR though he didn´t officially own up the incident.
“A few days ago, action was taken against Upper Karnali, which was a very good thing,” Bastola had said at a program in Birendranagar on Friday. “Action against GMR should be taken as an act in the national interest, whoever may have taken it.”
A group of around 25-30 persons allegedly led by the duo had barged into Paltada premises at about 4 pm chanting slogans that Upper Karnali was not in national interest and set ablaze all three office buildings of the company.
The preliminary report by the police had put the material loss of GMR at Rs 11 million.