‘Missing’ Dahal leaves cops, scribes guessing
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BIRATNAGAR / KAKADBHITTA, SEP 11 -
Till late into the Saturday night, journalists and security agencies had no clue whatsoever on the whereabouts of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, last spotted at the Biratnagar Airport with his wife, son and his aide on Friday.
Even party leaders, both at the district and central levels, were unaware of Dahal's visit here marked by surreptitiousness and intrigue.
On Friday afternoon, Dahal, his wife Sita, son Prakash and Haribol Gajurel of the Maoist Kochila State Committee were seen together at the airport. Upon their arrival here, they reportedly took a vehicle and left, largely being unnoticed. Only some airline staff recognised Dahal.
Party leaders and security agencies in Biratnagar were not informed of the visit. Maoist leaders, security agencies and journalists in the Eastern Region tried to locate Dahal and find the purpose of his visit, but to no avail. “My phone has been ringing incessantly since morning; everyone inquiring about the chairman when I don’t have the slightest idea where he is,” said Ganesh Upreti, the Maoist Morang district secretary.
DIG at the Eastern Regional Police Office, Surendra Bahadur Shah, said upon learning about Dahal’s arrival, he tried to track him down, but in vain. A Maoist source said Dahal has gone to Siliguri in India where his youngest daughter lives. Maoist Jhapa district leader Tanki Giri said he had a phone conversation with Gajurel, who told him that he was heading East and will return by Saturday evening. He said Gajurel’s mobile phone was unreachable after that. Another Maoist leader also claimed that Dahal was in Siliguri on a personal visit.
Dahal’s unconfirmed Siliguri trip, meanwhile, kept the media and security agencies in Jhapa busy the entire day. Security in Jhapa was beefed up, while journalists waited at the bordering town of Kakadbhitta in hopes of getting a quote or two from the Maoist chair upon his return, which did not happen.
“There are unconfirmed reports that he is in Siliguri,” said SP Tarini Prasad Lamsal.
Journalists in Siliguri were also disappointed as they could not locate the Maoist chairman, said Siliguri-based journalist Bijay Ruchal.
Meanwhile, Dahal’s son-in-law, Narayan Bikram Pradhan, who lives in Bagrakot in the Dooars region near Siliguri, said he had no idea of Dahal’s visit to Siliguri. Pradhan said Dahal always called on him whenever visiting Siliguri.
Posted on: 2011-09-11 08:59
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