08/07/2012, 00.00
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Police foil Hindu extremist attack in downtown Kathmandu

by Kalpit Parajuli
Attack planned for one of the most populated areas of the capital and a bus station in Biratnar (East of the country). Masterminded by Ram Prasd Mainali, leader of the Nepal Defense Army, arrested in 2009. He directed operations from prison. Explosives, weapons and money were provided by Islamic terrorist groups stationed in Qatar and UAE.

Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - The Nepalese police have foiled a plan by Hindu extremists to blow up two cinemas and a bus in one of the most populated districts of Kathmandu. Investigators learned of the plan during the interrogation of seven terrorists implicated in the murder of Supreme Court judge Rana Bahadur Bam, last May 31, in Kathmandu.

The mastermind of the attacks is Ram Prasad Mainali, leader of the Nepal Defense Army, in prison since 2009. According to police, he used men he met in prison, to communicate with senior NDA still at large on their release. The targets were two cinemas located in the centre of Kathmandu, a and a bus and a bus station in Biratnar (Eastern Nepal). Investigations revealed that men to carry out the attack were trained in Qatar and Dubai by Islamic extremists. The also provided money, about 1500 euros, weapons and explosives. The authorities call the discovery "disturbing" and have ordered new security measures to prevent Mainali from communicating with the outside.

Kuber Singh Rana, deputy inspector general of police and head of the investigation into the murder of Judge Bahadur Bam, said that "if the bombs had not been discovered in time, there ould have been many dead and wounded."

Political instability, economic crisis and the absence of a written constitution have caused a revival of the Hindu monarchy, that fell in 2007 after 11 years of civil war and thousands of deaths. Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, Home Minister, has warned that "extremist groups are exploiting the political chaos to infiltrate parliament". He ensures that the government will do everything to defend the people, and especially religious minorities, from other attacks, .

In March 2011, Mainali had planned a series of attacks against churches and public buildings, but in this case the police also foiled the attacks thanks to the confession of a member of the NDA. On January 14, 2010 Mainali sent a letter to Christians and Muslims which asked for forgiveness for the violence. The police never believed in his repentance, an attempt to have his sentence reduced.

Until 2007, the NDA was an obscure group known to the authorities, but it has taken centre stage in recent years with a series of terrorist activities including murders, explosions and intimidation. Its goal is to create was a Hindu-style state in Nepal. The group is responsible for the attack at the Catholic cathedral of Kathmandu, in 2009, the attack on the Union Mission to Nepal, a Protestant organization. The extremists are also accused of the killing of Fr. John Prakash, rector of the Salesian Sirsya School (Morang), killed in July 2007.

 

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