MACHINDRA PLAYS RCT Kathmandu, 19 Dec.: After a day’s rest, Machindra plays RCT in the Martyrs Memorial A Division football league championship Wednesday. Shankata plays Himalayan Sherpa Club in another match. Nnnn FAMILY SET SIBA ALIGHT Kathmandu, 19 Dec.: The case of Siba Hasami, the 19-year-old girl who was burnt to death allegedly by the importunate lover Babu Khan, has further entangled after the locals of Gulariya registered a police complaint claiming family´s involvement in the murder, Nirmal GHimere writes in Republica from Bardiya. After locals at Siba´s village in Gulariya VDC-8 registered the complaint along with the recording of the telephone conversation between Siba and Babu, to prove latter´s innocence, the police on Sunday expanded the area of investigation arresting Siba´s mother Hasina Hasami and brother Suddu Hasami. In the recorded telephone conversation, which is in Hindi language, Siba was found requesting Babu to marry her, and also said that her family was posing great threat to their relation.” I have been beaten daily in my house. Marry me and take me out of this place. My family is planning to frame you in the murder after killing me,” Siba is heard speaking with Babu over the phone. In the 15 minute long audio conservation, Babu is heard saying, “How can I take you out in such situation? Don´t worry! They cannot harm you. Don´t force me to runway. Where will we go? I too cannot live without you.” The complaint of the local claimed that Siba´s Mother Hasina Hasami, two brothers-Suddu and Rijwan-had set Siba on fire after dousing petrol on her body. The locals on Tuesday also staged a sit-in outside the District Police Office claiming Babu to be innocent. According to Sharad Rai, a Motorcycle Workshop owner, where Babu was working as head mechanic, Babu could not have killed his girl friend, with whom he was in love head over heel. “Brother! I am in relation with a girl but her brothers are threatening to kill us both,” Rai quoted Babu as telling him frequently. Rai also said that Babu had told him that Siba´s parents were reluctant to give their daughter´s hand to him as he was not financially well off. “If you want to marry our daughter, you should possess two tolas of gold and have to build a house of your own,” Babu had told Rai quoting the demand of the girl´s mother. Rai also informed that Babu had already started building his own house. “Police arrested Babu on the basis of the Siba´s statement recorded by the police immediately after the incident. She might have spoken the name of her lover at the time of pain. It is mistake on the part of police to consider Babu as the murderer,” said a neighbor Aarif. According to the sources, the statement of victim, the main basis of the police investigation has been weakened after Siba´s statements recorded in the Bardiya hospital were not consistent to blame Babu. “After the local registered complaint categorically naming girl´s parents´ involvement in the killing, we have arrested deceased girl´s mother and a brother,” said Police inspector Arun Singh. “Police have been trying to establish the authenticity of the audio attached with the complaint,” inspector Singh added. Inter-party women´s network chairperson Urmila Panday emphasized on the need of deeper investigation to bring the real perpetrator to the book. Siba, who had sustained 90 percent burn injuries in the incident on December 7, breathed her last while undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu on December 13. nnnn RIDDHIBIR, VALENTINO, NOW DHRUBE Kathmandu, 19 Dec : Dhrube, a wild elephant that has grabbed the headlines in the past few weeks by killing over half a dozen people around Chitwan National Park (CNP) and prompting the locals to demand his death, has lived a life of violence for the last five years, Chandhi Hamal writes in Republica from Chirwan.. To locals living around CNP, Dhrube -- whom wildlife officials want to destroy after a team of experts confirmed his insanity - has always been a symbol of terror. Since he strayed away from his herd around five years ago, Dhrube has killed as many as 10 humans, injured many others and destroyed property worth millions. According to CNP officials who have tracked Dhrube, he was like ´a crazed lover´ ready to do anything ´for his love´ in the first few years after separation from the herd. As the years passed by, Dhrube turned more violent and destructive. Today, his aggressiveness has reached unprecedented levels, as evidenced by his killing of seven people in less than three months. “Nowadays, Dhrube can´t even tolerate the sound of the human voice,” says Bishnu Thapaliya, a ranger at CNP. “He attacks anybody who comes in his way. He runs away only if he sees people in military uniform or hears loud gunshots.” Until five years ago, CNP officials had not noticed Dhrube. It was only after he destroyed the ´Dhruba post´ set up by Nepal Army (NA) personnel that he came to their notice. Dhrube wanted to mate with a female elephant kept near the post. As the NA men kept chasing him away, he destroyed the post in an act of revenge. “He was named after the NA post he destroyed,” says Lal Bahadur Bhandari, then assistant warden at CNP. “Dhrube became violent only after he demolished Dhruba post.” Later on, Dhrube killed Riddibir Dong, an NA soldier, in Jagatpur Ghailaghari of Chitwan district. After Dong´s death, Dhrube was renamed Riddibir. But he soon acquired yet another name, Valentinto, after barging into a party at Tiger Tops Hotel inside CNP on Valentine´s day, 2010. He forcibly took away a female from a shed close to the hotel. NCP officials say Dhrube is hostile not only to humans but also to domesticated elephants. Chanchalkali, the female elephant abducted from near the hotel, later died of pain caused by Dhrube´s brutal behavior. “Chanchalkali had had her tusk broken when Dhrube finally abandoned her,” says Ram Singh Gurung, a Tiger Tops employee. Dhrube also killed Shamshergunj, a domesticated elephant used for refereeing the elephant polo tournament inside CNP. Buddiram Bote and his wife Jariya Bote were Dhrube´s latest victims. After the Bote couple´s death, CNP officials have committed to putting an end to Dhrube´s deadly journey. Nnnn