Two former Maoist guerrillas have been arrested by Nepalese police in connection with planting and exploding bombs at a number of schools here.
Police identified the suspects as Shankar Lakhe, 31, of Ramechhap and Chandra Bahadur Tamang, 24,of Sindhuli. The duo were paraded by the police during a press meet in Kathmandu.
They were involved in exploding minor bombs in two schools and planting bombs in nine other schools of Kathmandu Valley yesterday.
According to Assistant Inspector General of Police Pratap Singh Thapa, the duo were affiliated with theMaoist Communist Centre Nepal, a lesser known Maoist faction, which was formed by former Maoist rebels who had fled along with arms.
Police claimed the duo intended to extort money from the schools through bomb terror.
Thearmed outfit had officially surrendered its arms two years ago to the government's talks team led by Ananda Prasad Dhugana.
Theduo, however, resorted to intimidating operators of private schools and colleges in the Kathmandu Valley in their bid to extort money, according to AIGP Thapa.
Lakhe was among eight persons who were held on charges of arson attack on a school van at Dallu in Kathmandu on July 1.
He was presented before the Kathmandu District Court and released on bail.
Police have confiscated some documents of the Maoist faction from their possession.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has condemned explosion and planting of bombs in the schools in Kathmandu.
Expressing serious concerns over such violent activities, the ministry said it was inappropriate for anyone to attack schools and use them as a shield in order get their demands, including forceful donations, fulfilled.
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