All Nepali and English broadsheet newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday have given the topmost priority to the filing of case against 63 suspects in connection with a gold smuggling case, perhaps the biggest of such case that entered the judicial trial. The issue has forced newspaper editors to keep other political, sociocultural and economic issues aside.
Important
Case filed against 63 gold smuggling suspects
As police in Morang district concluded their investigation, the Office of District Attorney there filed a case in relation to the alleged smuggling and disappearance of 33.5 kg gold and a subsequent murder of its porter.
Kantipur says different defendants have been charged with different cases including murder, organised crime, kidnapping, hostage and gold smuggling. The defendants in the case include six police officials, Republica lead story for the day informs.
Meanwhile, SSP Dibesh Lohani, who was sent to judicial custody on Wednesday in connection with the case, allegedly assaulted journalists Dhruba Bhattarai and Suman Suskera, according to newspaper reports. The Himalayan Times reports that Morang chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists among others has condemned the incident and sough action against the guilty as well as security guarantee for journalists.
Dahal directs party to prepare for unification
Gorkhapatra informs that CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has directed his party leaders to prepare for the party’s unification with the CPN-UML. Dahal issued the directive during a Central Secretariat meeting of the party, according to the report.
Rajdhani says Dahal also told the party that unification would take place within next few days.
Meanwhile, Dahal also told leaders of his party that the unified party would form a broader coalition with Upendra Yadav-led Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Party Nepal, according to The Himalayan Times.
On the other hand, the CPN-UML Standing Committee meeting called to discuss the unification has been postponed, according to Gorkhapatra.
Ignored
Awaiting reconstruction, Kashthamandap wooden logs decay
A three-column box story in Kantipur reports that wooden logs salvaged from the 17th century Kashthamandap Temple, which collapsed during the magnitude-7.6 earthquake on April 25, 2015, are decaying as concerned authorities have failed to reconstruct the Temple using the same materials.
A dispute among authorities including Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Department of Archaeology and National Reconstruction Authority as well as locals has pushed the reconstruction process into a standstill.
Calendar for new Parliament session ready
Rajdhani reports that the Federal Parliament Secretariat has finalised a likely schedule for the next Parliament session scheduled to begin next week. According to the schedule, President Bidya Devi Bhandari will present the government’s policy and programme on May 15 whereas the annual budget statement will be presented on May 29. According to the schedule, the budget will be endorsed by the first week of July.
Supreme Court to test constitutionality of impeachment against Karki
The Supreme Court is testing the constitutionality of an impeachment motion filed against then Chief Justice Sushila Karki, according to Republica. The apex court has asked the central committee and Supreme Court unit of Nepal Bar Association to send three amicus curiae each to test the case.
The five-member constitutional bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Deepak Raj Joshee has made the order following a heading on Wednesday, the report informs.
Modi may announce special package for Janakpur
As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Province 2 capital of Janakpurdham before coming to Kathmandu during his state visit to Nepal next week, he may announce a special package for the religious city, The Kathmandu Post report filed from New Delhi informs.
An anonymous official at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been quoted in the report that the special package would help conserve Janakpur’s heritage as well as its development or link the Ramayan Circuit with the city.
Indian Embassy’s direct investment in small projects
Republica and Nagarik have published a report about the government decision to renew a controversial grant project run by the Indian Embassy here.
The erstwhile government led by Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had halted the renewal of Small Grants Agreement. However, the current government of CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli decided to let the project continue, Republica says, adding, the decision allows the Indian Embassy to directly fund projects upto Rs 50 million in any part of the country, purely at its own discretion, for next three years.
Interesting
‘Left’ transporters unlikely to support entrepreneurs’ strike
A sharp polarisation has surfaced among transport entrepreneurs as a section of them supporting ruling parties including CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre have expressed their readiness for talks, according to Karobar lead stories.
Earlier, an organisation which claims to be the umbrella organisation of all transport entrepreneurs had said it was not ready for negotiations unless the government revoked a recent directive, the report informs.
