Jul 03, Kathmandu - Kushal Pandey, leader of the Young Communist League (YCL), a sister organization of the CPN (Maoist Center), has been implicated in the kidnapping and robbery incident in Biratnagar.

The police's initial investigation has revealed that the kidnapping and robbery were planned by Pandey. The police have arrested Pandey, a former member of YCL Biratnagar, on charges of orchestrating the incident and brought him under investigation and prosecution. He was arrested on Wednesday.

The police are preparing to file a case against 26-year-old Pandey, a resident of Biratnagar Metropolitan City-11, for robbery by holding a person hostage. The police will extend the time limit from the court on Thursday and proceed with the remaining investigation process. Two people involved in the kidnapping and robbery were arrested last Sunday. Sameer Hussain, 24, of Biratnagar-8, and Ashiv Ansari, 26, of Biratnagar-6, were arrested earlier.

The police are investigating the crime of robbing them by holding them hostage. The police have arrested YCL President Pandey, who was absconding after the incident, and have brought him under the ambit of investigation and action. According to the police, a group of three people claiming to be police kidnapped 20-year-old Bikram Kumar Shah Teli of Biratnagar-15 at around 11:15 am on Ashadha 11 and looted the money he had with him. The group initially kidnapped Bikram from Mahato Tole of Biratnagar-13.

Three men on a motorcycle and a scooter kidnapped him from Mahato Tole and took him to Jatuwa, Biratnagar-14, near Biratnagar Eye Hospital, robbed him of the money and released him. Bhikkram was abducted while going to deposit Rs. 364,000 in a bank, given to him by Dharmananda Sah of Bhinaj, Biratnagar-15.

After kidnapping and robbing him of the money he had, the group released him. Saying that they were police officers deployed from the District Police Office, Morang, and wanted to investigate, the kidnappers took him away on a scooter bearing the number 14 Pa 3330. They then took him to a secluded place and robbed him.

A police complaint was filed saying that a group of robbers had robbed Vikram of the money he had with them, threatening to kill him if he made a noise. "The main planner of this incident is Kushal Pandey. It seems that after Pandey made the plan, two other people helped him. He was on the run after the incident. He has been arrested and brought under investigation. More details will be revealed through the investigation," said a police source.

Police have also seized the motorcycle used by Pandey in the incident. Morang Police Chief SP Narayan Prasad Chimaria informed that further investigation into the incident is underway. He said, "Kidnapping and robbery are serious incidents. Investigations are being conducted from various angles."