R P Mainali Arrested

Written by Raju Pradhan

September 6, 2009, Kathmandu:
The chief of the Nepal Defense Army (NDA), a terrorist outfit involved in various terrorist activities, Ram Prasad Mainali, was arrested alongside four others involved in similar groups, in Jhapa today. Among the others arrested are Biswas, NDA Morang Commander and Binod Pandey, the chief of Ranabir Sena (another similar terrorist group). These groups have been involved in dozens of terrorist activities such as bombing public and religious places, extortions and threatening people for ransom and other similar activities.

The NDA has confirmed their involvement in various criminal activities against Christian Churches. The group was behind the murder of Fr. John Prakash (Principal, Don Bosco School) in June 2008 and the bombing of the Catholic Church of the Assumption in August 2009. The bombing killed three and left 15 seriously injured. Along with these major incidents the group has been time and again involved in threatening various church leaders and pastors and demanding money.

The main demand of the NDA and the Ranabir Sena is restoration of Nepal’s status as a Hindu State.

The police have accused the groups of flouting religious harmony and booked them under attempt to murder, blast, illegal possession of arms and ammunition and issuing threat letters to civilians.