KATHMANDU (TIP): Nepalese government has filed a case against 13 Maoist cadres for their alleged involvement in the murder of a 16-year-old school boy in 2004 during the decadelong civil strife in the country, prompting the Maoists to obstruct the Parliament. The Maoists were arrested for abducting and killing Krisna Prasad Adhikari after his parents Nanda Prasad Adhikari and Ganga Maya held a protest fast lasting 171 days, demanding action against the culprits.

The condition of the parents is said to be critical and they are currently undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital. In spite of their condition, they have declined to end the hunger strike. They had suspended their hunger strike for a few days at the government’s request. In the case filed in Chitawan district court life imprisonment has been sought against 13 Maoists, including Chhabilal Poudyal, for their alleged involvement in the incident.

The arrest comes in the wake of serious concerns raised by the UN over the govt’s move to table a bill in the Parliament giving amnesty to those accused of serious human rights violations during the civil war. To give amnesty for serious human rights violations would weaken the foundation for a genuine and lasting peace in Nepal, Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had said in a statement in Geneva. The UCPN-Maoists today stalled the Constituent Assembly in protest against the government move to file the charge sheet against the party cadres.

Constituent Assembly chairman Subash Chandra Nembang adjourned the House for an hour after the Maoist leaders stood from their seats and protested. The government has recently registered a bill for setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to look into human rights violations during the decade long civil conflict which claimed more than 16,000 lives. The UN Human Rights Council has prepared a profile of 9,000 cases of human rights abuses committed during the decade-long conflict by both the state and Maoists. The Maoists have warned they will disrupt Parliament and protest on the streets if the charge sheet is not withdrawn.

The party also boycotted the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala yesterday. However, a senior minister has said the government is in no position to interfere with the court proceedings. “The government will not interfere with the court’s proceedings. So chances of withdrawing the cases against the Maoist cadres is slim,” senior leader of Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi said.