A media mission formed by FNJ to probe the incident has concluded that the attack on Bista was the culmination of a ´series of incidents which pitted her and the Maoists against each other´. Similarly, FNJ claimed that police can easily nab the culprits if they are not influenced politically.
Unidentified individuals beat up Bista near her residence in Khalanga on December 8. She was found unconscious and airlifted to Kathmandu as treatment of her critical injuries was not possible locally.
Concluding that the attack was well-planned and executed by those infuriated by her write-ups, FNJ referred to many circumstances indicating indirectly that the attackers were Maoists.
The mission led by FNJ treasurer Ramesh Bista said the UCPN (Maoist) could not rule out the possibility that an anarchist group within the YCL might have attacked Bista. The mission´s report quoted Maoist district secretary Ram Sur Buda (Birata) as saying the party conducted an internal ´interrogation´ but did not find any proof.
Buda acknowledged that some YCL cadres breached the party´s official policy while protesting against Minister for Information and Communication Shankar Pokhrel at a function. Bista´s article referring to that protest was published in a local weekly. "Buda acknowledged that the same anarchist group might have attacked Bista,´ the mission´s report says.
Highlighting the report, coordinator Bista stressed the need for police to investigate the Maoist cadres seriously. FNJ President Dharmendra Jha demanded that the Maoists also help find the culprits and bring action against them as per the law.
Meanwhile, FNJ expressed concern about an ongoing investigation by police. "It has been fairly long since the incident and we are not informed about any significant progress in the investigations," Jha said.
"We are concerned that police in Rukum are not fast-tracking the investigation," Jha said. "The state is nonchalant over this issue.´
Police in Rukum had arrested around one and a half dozen YCL cadres after the incident and released them all after interrogation. It had sent stuff found at the scene of the crime to the capital for forensic tests only after the lapse of a week. FNJ said that police in Rukum had not received any input from the forensic lab till Wednesday.
Political parties in Rukum wouldn´t like to be too vocal about the case, a member of the mission said. Following increasing animosity towards the Maoists after the incident, UML Rukum had put off its convention. The mission report clearly noted that the incident has deepened the bitterness between the UML and UCPN (Maoist).
After intensive treatment at Kathmandu Modal Hospital, Bista was discharged a few days ago and is now living with relatives here. "If she is willing to return home and resume her work, we need to reassure her about security," said Jha.
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