Church blast probe committee formed

KATHMANDU, May 24: Prime Minister-elect Madhav Kumar Nepal visited the Church of Assumption at Dhobighat in Lalitpur where a powerful bomb blast killed two persons on Saturday.



After attending standing committee meeting of the party at Balkhu, Nepal reached the Church. He also visited Patan and Alka Hospital to meet those injured in the blast and inquired about their health condition.



Nepal denounced the cowardice attack and urged all to exercise restraint. He also vowed to book the guilty behind the incident.






Meanwhile, the Home Ministry on Sunday formed a three-member probe committee under the chair of DIG Kuber Singh Rana to investigate into the explosion. Rana is serving at the Crime Division at Nepal Police Headquarters.



Sp of APF Singh Bahadur Shrestha and SSP-level NID officer Arjun KC are the members of the panel.



Sources at Home Ministry said the government has beefed security in Church and Mosques across the country.



Six of the 14 injured in the blast have been discharged from hospitals while eight were still undergoing treatment as of Sunday evening.






Prakash Khadka, a youth volunteer at the Assumption Church, said the condition of Buddha Laxmi Joseph is critical. She is kept in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Patan Hospital.



Meanwhile, family member of slain Deepa Patrick are preparing to take her body to Patna for the last rites. Sources at the Church said the date for the last rites of another slain Celeste Joseph, 15, is yet to be decided.



All Catholic schools in Kathmandu remained closed on Sunday to mourn the killings.



A peace rally is being organized on Sunday in Maitighar. People from other religious communities including Hindus and Buddhists will also participate in the rally.