Two killed in Kapilvastu and Dhanusa

An unidentified group gunned down Maoist area committee member Shiv Pujan Kurmi at Shivlava village in Kapilvastu district, near the Nepal-India border on Saturday. Kurmi, who was injured in the shooting, died on the way to the hospital.

Kurmi had sustained a bullet injury in the chest. In protest, Maoist cadres staged a sit-in outside the main gate of the hospital. They also vandalised vehicles belonging to Nepali Congress candidates and the party's poll publicity office in the district.

The gunmen on a motorcycle approached Kurmi, fired at him and fled south.

Similarly, a youth was killed during police retaliation in Dhanusa district on Saturday when a few persons attacked a patrol of the area police office at around 3 p.m.

The deceased has not been identified. The youth sustained a bullet injury in the chest and died on the spot.

Police suspect him of being a member of an armed group. A 12-bore gun was recovered from the spot. nepalnews.com ia Mar 23 08