PROBE TEAM BEGINS INVESTIGATION INTO JUSTICE BAM’S MURDER Kathmandu, 2 June: A probe led by AIG Kuber Singh Rana began work Friday to investigate the previous day’s murder of Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam near UN Park in Patan.. Two motorcyclists intercepted Bam’s car and shot him dead; friend Ramji Giri and security guard Mahesh Giri, injured in the shooting, are undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital are in critical condition and have regained consciousness. The motorcyclists were riding a stolen twowheeler. Bam’s drive, who unhurt in the shooting, has been quizzed by police who conducted a search of his residence.. rThe apex court justice against whom impeachment proceedings were recommended by former Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shestha never recovered from bullet wounds in the neck and chest and was declared dead shortly after being rushed toNorvic Hospital. He died of excessive bleeding, Dr. Bharat Rawat said. bbbb PRESIDENT WORRIED BY ETHNIC ISSUES BEING CIRRENTLY RAISED Kathmandu, 2 June: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has stressed the need of unity and cooperation among all the castes and religions, RSS reports.. During a meeting with a delegation of the former ministers, ex-ambassadors, civil society leaders, human rights activities and legal professionals focused on the Madhes issues at his residence on Friday, the President said that division among the people in the name of castes and religions could not lead the country towards progress. He said that he was worried about the questions being raised taking up the ethnicity issues with the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. Expressing his deep concern over the latest political developments in the country, the President underlined the need of keeping the national and communal harmony intact. He urged the political parties not to exercise the politics of ethnicity and to move ahead through consensus, collaboration and unity by taking all the people into confidence. Similarly, stressing the need of promulgating the new constitution through the CA itself, the delegation drew the attention of the president that the constitution promulgated through other ways (except CA) could not address the voices of all people. Human rights defender Deependra Jha and Chairman of Terai Lawyers’ Association Sunil Ranjan Singh were among those in the delegati nnnn GOVT. CONSIDERING LEGALIZING NEPALI FOREIGN INVESTMENTS Kathmandu, 2 June: Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun Friday said that the government was planning to allow the Nepalese entrepreneurs to invest in foreign countries and manage the present investments through various channels, The Rising Nepal reports. Minister Pun made this remark at a discussion programme with the delegation of the Confederation of Nepalese Industry (CNI) at the Finance Ministry. "It is reported that there has been Nepalese investments in foreign countries through illegal channel. The government thinks that providing legal status to Nepalese investment abroad would be beneficial to the country" he said. He further said that the government would announce a package programmes to provide the relief to the private sector soon. "The government is ready to extend necessary support to the private sector for encouraging them to invest. We are committed to creating a more favourable business climate in the country," he said. On the occasion, Hari Bhakta Sharma, officiating president of the CNI, suggested that the government should introduce required laws and acts related to economic developments, industries and business even through an ordinance. He said that CNI was of the views that the political turmoil should not hamper the economic sector. For this, there should be stability on business related laws and policies, he said. He stressed need of the approval of 15 economic bills which were pending in the dissolved parliament to improve the business environment in the country. Highlighting the present political crisis, Sharma, however, expressed his doubt about the success of the Nepal Investment Year-2012/13 and Investment Board established aiming to attract foreign investment. The delegation also urged the government to move ahead by making consensus among the political parties on minimum economic agenda. Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota was also present in the meeting. Nnnn MAOIST BAIDHYA GROUP SAYS ELECTION IS NOT A SOLUTION Kathmandu, 2 June: The dissenting faction of the UCPN-Maoist led by the party senior vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya has demanded for an interim national government for giving solution to the present political crisis, The Rising Nepal reports from Lalitpur. . Holding a press meet at the office of Newa State Committee on Friday, the dissenting faction has proposed an all-party round table conference with inclusive representation of workers, peasants, suppressed class, women, Janajati, Dalit, Muslim, Madheshi and backward community. Holding fresh election of the constituent assembly is irrelevant as it could not accomplish its task. Only a representative round table conference can give a pro-people constitution, Baidhya said in the press meet. Blaming that the key party leaders were trapped in capitulationist tendency, the Maoist senior vice-chairman Baidhya said that the leaders of key political parties including Maoist chief Prachanda were responsible for failure to promulgate the new constitution and dissolution of the CA. "We protest the government’s move to announce the date for fresh CA election as the decision was taken unilaterally without consulting other parties," Baidhya said. According to him, the long-running power centric politics in the CA, conspiracy against the new constitution, incapability of the chiefs of the major parties, foreign reactionary interferences and traditional monopolist government also prevented the promulgation of the constitution. A new pro-people republic state affair is a must to protect the national sovereignty, establish the federal republic and resolve the problems of general livelihood, he claimed. The faction has called a national conference of the party on June 15 to discuss matters relating to party organisation. Answering a query, Baidhya said that his faction is not going to split the party because it will amount to nothing more than creating yet another communist party. Nnnn SECURITY FOR VIPs BEING REVIEWED Kathmandu, 2 June:- In the wake of Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam's muder in broad daylight on Thursday and the emerging new security challenges after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly (CA), the government is all set to review the entire security arrangement for VIPs, Anil Giri writes in The Kathmandu Post.. "An instruction is in place to arrange for the security of VIPs after evaluating the security threat to them. A team led by Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry, Shanker Prasad Koirala, has been formed to amend the VIP Security Directive and Management-2010," a Home Ministry release said. A meeting of the Central Security Committee headed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar on Friday also decided to beef up security in the Kathmandu valley. "We will asses the security threat to the VIPs and recommend the highest authority and also accordingly amend the existing VIP security directives," Koirala told the Post. Unhappy about the security arrangements, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai took an overview of the arrangements for the entire country earlier in the day. He then instructed the Home Ministry to come up with a new plan to curb criminal activities and provide security for VIPs, according to the PM's aide, Bishowdeep Pandey. Home Minister Gachhadar, Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire, Home Secretary Sushil Jung Bahadur Rana, chiefs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Intelligence Department and representative of the Nepal Army were present in Friday's meeting. The meeting also briefly discussed justice Bam's killing. "Senior security officials told the PM that they have not arrived at any concrete conclusion as of Friday morning, while they also said no lead or clue has been found so far," a participant of the meeting said. A senior security official told the Post that a coordinated investigation is underway covertly and that the police will come up with a result very soon. Nnnn INJURED AIRHOSTESS WAITS TO FLU AGAIN Kathmandu, 2 June: It was 15 minutes into the flight from Pokhara and we were to soon land at Jomsom airport. As the airport came in sight, excitement was visible on the passengers’ faces, Roshani Haiju writes in The Kathmandu Post.. However, the plane did not land. I thought the air traffic had directed pilot duo Prabhu Sharan Pathak and Suman Dangol to hold on. Planes are often asked to circle the skies until the runway is totally empty. As there was no intercom system in the Dornier craft for communication between the pilot and the airhostess, I was still still in the dark as to why the plane did not land. The plane was hardly 500 metres from the ground when I heard a strange sound. It was loud enough for our hearts to tremble. During my two months of service, I had never faced such a situation. I sweated. Everyone was mum in the now mildly flying plane. I closed my eyes and held the seat tight. The plane then gave a distinct loud vibration. I heard someone saying, “That is the end, it is all over”. When I opened my eyes, what I saw was beyond my imagination. To my horror the plane was in a gorge. An infant in front of me was crying. A Danish woman, Imile, next to me was trying to get out of the wreckage. “Please save me,” I asked her. However, she left me saying, “sorry”. I then heard her calling ‘Andrish! Andrish!’ another Danish, probably her boyfriend. When there was no reply, she left the spot and moved towards the cliff. There was no fire but the plane had broken into two. I looked left and right and could not believe my eyes. The Indians who were all excited about the Himalayan ranges just a few minutes ago were dead. I then saw an Indian baby of around six years crying terribly. I found myself helpless and cried ‘Help me! Help me!” The area is close to the army barracks and I saw army personnel running towards us. I heard them saying, “The airhostess is still alive, take her out.” I told them I was fine and urged them to help the child. When they were pulling me, the plane door hit my leg, leaving me hurt. They also rescued another injured girl alive. A crowd had gathered till then. I found most of the passengers dead. I fell unconscious later. It was only after I came to Kathmandu that I came to know that the captain had decided to return to Pokhara after there was a technical problem and the accident took place as we tried to return. I also came to know that the TV and the radio broadcast news about my death soon after the crash. The trend of the immature media to carry erroneous information in the name of breaking news did not hit me much, but I thought, what would have gone through my parents in Lokanthali? Whom do I blame for such a thing? Many people have suffered from such ‘unverified breaking news.’ I borrowed a cell phone and called my mom. “Mummy,” I could not continue further. Mom, who was crying, started wailing hard when she heard my voice. The owner immediately asked me to return his phone. I lost my bag with the mobile phone, wallet and other stuff and and I don’t think I will ever get it back. Actually, it was not my turn that day to be on board. I had to host the flight as Gauri didi (KC) was not available. It’s already been 20 days and am still under treatment. Every day my friends, relatives and well wishers come to see me and they are all amazed to see a plane crash survivor. They also ask me what I will do next. And I tell them I will continue with my work as airhostess. My parents and my elder brother in Australia have also agreed to this. I hear planes flying while I lie on my hospital bed. I can’t see them though, but the sound makes me feel nostalgic and I start imagining the day when I will resume my work. (As told to Suraj Kunwar and Binod Ghimire) nnnn