Gachchhadar assures of action against Rathi's killers

BIRATNAGAR, Feb 6: Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar on Wednesday assured the family of industrialist Ganga Bishan Rathi, who was kidnapped and murdered in India, that he would talk to the Indian government through diplomatic channels to ensure that those involved in Rathi´s murder face “stringent punishments”.



Gachchhadar said the Nepal government would take up the issue of Rathi´s abduction and murder with the Indian government as this case has cropped up as a challenge to both countries. [break]



“The Nepal government will ask the Indian government to take stringent actions against those involved in the murder (of Rathi),” said Gachchhadar. “On behalf of the Nepal government, I am ready to talk with the Indian government any time.”



Rathi´s family has urged the Nepal government to lobby with the Indian government to hang Rathi´s murderers to death. “They should be hanged to death,” says Champa Lal Rathi, Rathi´s younger brother. “Only then will we feel that we have got justice.”



Talking to Rathi´s family members, Gachchhadar said that ensuring stringent actions against Rathi´s murderers was very important as many other industrialists and businessmen were also facing threats from criminals. He also said that a team of Nepali police officials was still in India to assist the West Bengal police to investigate Rathi´s murder.



Rathi, a Biratnagar-based industrialist, was kidnapped while in Siligudi, an Indian town in West Bengal, on January 11. He was later found dead. The police have so far arrested four on the charge of Rathi´s murder. One more involved in Rathi´s abduction is still absconding.

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