Taxi driver shot dead in Kathmandu (7:40 p.m.)
An unidentified group of people has shot dead a taxi driver in Kathmandu on Monday—the second day of nationwide shutdown strike called by the Maoist rebels.
According to police, Jitendra Shrestha was shot dead at around 6:30 p.m. on Monday just near the gate of B & B hospital at Ring Road of Kathmandu by one of the two passengers who were traveling in the same taxi (plate no. Ba 1 Ja 8884).
The bill in the taxi showed only Rs thirty-two, according to police.
Police quoted local eyewitnesses as saying that the assailants immediately fled. Shrestha succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment.
Police said the assailants had used a Chinese-made pistol to attack Shrestha-- a resident of nearby district of Dhading.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack on an unarmed civilian earning his bread. Police blame Maoists for the attack. There has been no word from the rebels regarding the incident as yet.
The incident came as a large number of taxis and private vehicles were seen plying in the streets of Kathmandu (with their plate nos. covered) defying the week-long strike called by the Maoists. Only few vehicles took to the streets of the capital on Sunday.
The rebels have called the strike as part of their bid to disrupt municipal polls slated on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, the government’s spokesman, Shrish Shumsher Rana, told a press conference that the government had made adequate security arrangements ahead of the polls. He even asked people to go out for voting by shedding off any kind of fear.
Armed security personnel were guarding major thoroughfares of the capital today. Royal Nepalese Army personnel could be seen standing guard in front of polling booths and ward offices of Kathmandu municipality.
Most of the shops in main roads remained closed while shops in the inner parts of the city were open. Schools, colleges and private offices remained closed for the second day on Monday due to the strike. nepalnews.com by Feb 06 06
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