Basnet has threatened dire consequences if the complaint is not withdrawn. [break]
“He (Basnet) called me today, saying the complaint can be withdrawn even after it lands in the office of the government attorney and warning us to take it back,” journalist Gokul Parajuli told a gathering of fellow journalists Tuesday. “He said he has given us a chance to withdraw the complaint and asked us to think about it (withdrawing of complaint).”
Bikram Niraula, Morang district chapter president of the FNJ, had filed a written complaint Monday against Basnet and aides Rohit Koirala and Manoj Rai at the District Police Office (DPO), Morang. Although police on Tuesday arrested Koirala, Basnet and Rai are still absconding. Local journalists picketed the District Administration Office (DAO) on Tuesday.
On Sunday night, Rai and his inebriated friends had brutally assaulted Dhakal for a news story in the Republica and Nagarik dailies about an attack by Youth Force (YF) cadres on a police van in the premises of Morang district court. Dhakal was taken to an isolated spot by Koirala, apparently at Basnet´s behest. While Basnet is Morang district president of the YF, Koirala is Biratnagar in-charge of the CPN (UML)´s youth wing.
Last Wednesday, a mob of YF cadres had tried to kill Abhishek Giri, who has been in judicial custody for allegedly killing his friend-turned-foe Karan Yadav a year ago in public and in broad daylight in spite of heavy police security. Basnet was also injured in that attack allegedly carried out by Giri´s henchmen.
Although Basnet has maintained that the attack by the YF was meant to pile pressure on the courts not to let Giri off the hook, knowledgeable sources say Basnet´s intention was to murder Giri so that he would not divulge secret details about him in court. Basnet, Giri and Yadav were partners in a contract business. Their relations soured after Giri broke away from Basnet and Yadav.
At an interaction held Tuesday, Mohan Kaji Neupane, eastern regional coordinator of FNJ, said the attack on Dhakal was an outright criminal act. He said journalists will launch agitations against any political force that moves to protect the criminals involved in attacking Dhakal.
Ameet Dhakal, editor-in-chief of Republica daily, said that every journalist should boycott all those who indulge in criminal activities under the protection of political parties. Narayan Wagle, editor-in-chief of Nagarik daily, lauded the courage demonstrated by local journalists in lodging a written complaint against the perpetrators and exerting pressure on the administration to nab them.
CPN (UML) protects Basnet
Parshu Ram Basnet, who had instructed Koirala and Rai to ´finish off´ Republica scribe Dhakal, was at the Morang district office of the YF all day Monday when a complaint was lodged against him. Rishikesh Pokhrel, who oversees all sister organization of the CPN (UML), has confirmed Basnet´s presence in his office.
Sources said Basnet had attended his office for an hour even on Tuesday. Upon instruction by Morang district president of the CPN (UML) Binod Dhakal, Pokharel had called a meeting to calm tensions created by the attack on Dhakal. But the meeting failed to take any decision as most of the members did not turn up.
Maoist spokesman denounces attack
UCPN (Maoist) Spokesman Dinanath Sharma has denounced attack on journalist Khilanath Dhakal by a group of Youth Force (YF) members.
"The incident of a journalist being attacked by the members of the prime minister´s own party´s youth organization is very serious. Such an incident gives very wrong message to the people," said Sharma while addressing the parliament meeting on Tuesday.
He urged all the political parties to instruct members of their sister organizations to refrain from being involved in provocative activities. "I urge the political parties to refrain from such activities," he said.
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