Prime Minister Prachanda on Thursday vowed to bring those involved in the murder of Janakpur-based journalist Uma Singh to book

PM Prachanda objects to attempts linking Maoists in journalist murder; cancels visit to Scandinavian countries

Prime Minister Prachanda on Thursday vowed to bring those involved in the murder of Janakpur-based journalist Uma Singh to book, but said attempts to show Maoist involvement in the incident are inspired by “wrong intentions”.

In a meeting with a team of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) that had reached his official residence in Balwuatar to submit a memorandum asking the government to ensure security to the journalists and guarantee that such incidents do not repeat, PM Prachanda said the Maoist party of which he is a chairman can’t be blamed for the murder of journalist Singh just on the basis that her (Uma Singh’s) father and brother were abducted and disappeared by Maoist cadres in the past.

He said he was “shocked and speechless” after hearing the news about the gruesome murder of the 26-year-old journalist who reported on women’s issues. He also assured that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in the murder, that he will spare no one, not even his own cadres if they were found involved in it.