According to Director of Bir Hospital Dr Bulanda Thapa, the couple are being fed rice gruel, liquid nutrients and biscuits as they have digestion problem due to contraction of intestines. "It will take some time for them to recover. They will be discharged within next one week," he said. The couple have complained of dizziness and nausea. [break]
Doctors involved in the treatment said they have been supplying glucose, sodium chloride and potassium through saline drips to the couple since the past several days as their condition got serious. "The couple will be treated at the hospital until their condition becomes normal," Dr Thapa, who is also the coordinator of a nine-member special team of doctors taking care of the couple.
Secretary at the Prime Minister´s Office, Krishna Hari Banskota, brought an end to the couple´s hunger strike by offering them fruit juice at 1:10 am following the three-point agreement. In the agreement, the government had pledged to expedite effective investigation into the murder of their son Krishna Prasad, provide them necessary treatment, ensuring guarantee of their security and provide them compensation for the property seized by the Maoists.
While Secretary Banskota signed the agreement on behalf of the government, rights activists Subodh Pyakurel and Kanak Mani Dixit signed on behalf of the couple.
Concerned over their deteriorating health condition as the strike entered 47th day on Saturday, civil society leaders had facilitated the government to help convince the couple to end their hunger strike. The hours-long talks between the two sides were held Saturday in the wake of police arresting on Friday evening one of the 11 accused in the murder of the couple´s son back in 2004.
Then CPN-Maoist cadres had murdered Adhikari in Ratnagar, Chitwan on June 6, 2004. Though the victim´s family filed a case specifying the names of 11 individuals over the murder at Chitwan District Police Office on June 12, 2006, police acted on the case only after Adhikari couple started fast-unto-death protest in Kathmandu.
Police arrested Ram Prasad Adhikari, who is among those allegedly involved in the murder, from Bagbazar, Kathmandu, prompting UCPN (Maoist) to take a sudden decision to enforce general strike in Kathmandu, Chitwan and Gorkha districts on Saturday. However, the Maoists were forced to withdraw their strike from noon as the strike was largely defied by the public in Kathmandu Valley.
Meanwhile, Chitwan District Court remanded the arrested Maoist worker Ram Prasad Adhikari for 10 days. Adhikari was produced before the court Sunday morning.
The government side has expressed commitment to arrest the remaining 10 Maoists accused of murdering Adhikari.
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