Two cadres of a hardline Maoist faction in Nepal were today arrested on charges of setting on fire towers of a private telecommunication company apparently for refusing to pay taxes it owed to the government.
Police arrested the two cadres of CPN-Maoist led by Netra Bikram Chanda for their alleged involvement in the attacks on Ncell towers in Myagdi district on Saturday.
The two Maoist activists were arrested from the district headquarters, police said.
The arrest came a day after Home Minister and Senior Maoist leader Shakti Basnet warned of strict action against those involved in attacking telecommunication towers.
Chand-led Maoist faction has reportedly set on fire 10 telecom towers belonging to NCell across Nepal. Equipment worth thousands of rupees were destroyed in the arson attacks.
More than 250,000 people of the remote villages of Nepal were deprived of telecom services due to the attacks in Salyan, Dang, Kaski, Jhapa, Myagdi, Dhankua, Morang, Baglung and Gorkha districts.
Ncell is under attack from various quarters for refusing to pay the capital gains taxit owed to the government when Swedish telecom giant TeliaSonera sold the private firm for 143 billion rupees (USD 1.40 billion) to Axiata Group in December last year.
