Maoist former commander Kali Bahadur Kham held in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU: Kali Bahadur Kham, the former Maoist commander, has been arrested.

He was arrested on charges of murder after the kidnapping of businessman Ramhari Shrestha.

Shrestha’s body, thrown into the Narayani River, was found on May 10 in a decomposed state.

District Police Complex Kathmandu squad arrested Kham from Thamel on Tuesday afternoon.

Kham, who has been absconding for the past 15 years, was under the protection of the Maoist party leadership.

Shrestha was allegedly apprehended by a faction under Kham’s authority on April 27, 2008, and transported to the Shaktikhor camp of the Third Division, located in Chitwan.

Previously, following the signing of a peace agreement and the placement of combatants in cantonments, the Maoist combatants’ third division had established a liaison office at Shrestha’s residence in Koteshwor.

An amount of Rs 1.7 million and a firearm were reportedly taken from Shrestha’s residence on March 27, 2008.

Maoist leaders such as Govinda Bahadur Batala, Keshav Adhikari, Gangaram Thapa, Arjun Karki, and others stand accused of Shrestha’s murder in Chitwan.