After death threats were issued to 10 high-ranking individuals in the name of the “Extremist Group of Nepal,” police have taken some individuals into custody for questioning.
Prakash Pathak, who claims to be the chairman of the group, had issued death threats to the high-ranking individuals a few days ago.
Police launched an investigation after Prem Kumar Rai, chief commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA); then-foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba; then-home minister Ramesh Lekhak; Bal Krishna Khand; and others received death threats via email.
A highly-placed police source said that some individuals were questioned during the investigation.
“We have detained 3-4 people who could be connected to him and moved the investigation forward,” the source said. “The search for the person who issued the threats is ongoing.”
The letter containing the death threat mentions the name Prakash Pathak. Originally from Kavre, Pathak has been claiming that he is currently in India.
The letter sent to CIAA Chief Rai states, "Our central committee is sad to have decided to assassinate 10 corrupt administrators including you, and those who came to power due to an unstable government. You must either resign or be killed. If you resign within 10 days, we will not attack."
Pathak mentions in the letter that he would carry out the attack using prisoners who escaped from jail on September 9. However, the letter states that he would take responsibility for the attack.
This letter was sent to the high-ranking officials a few days ago. Following the receipt of the email, various units of Nepal Police are investigating the matter.
According to a police officer involved in the investigation, the search for Pathak is underway.
"We have also received information about this. Various police units are investigating. The person who sent the email does not appear to be in Nepal," the officer said, "We are in the midst of the investigation."
The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police, along with other intelligence units, is searching for Pathak to investigate this incident.
The size of the group led by the individual named Prakash Pathak has not yet been determined. He has also posted a video on his Facebook page.
In the video, he claims to be the chairman of the said group and details his plan to assassinate CIAA Chief Rai and nine others. He also says he is aware that the police are searching for him.
"Permission from the court was necessary to view my call details. Just hours after I published the list, Prem Rai is misusing the police administration and harassing my boys; I've heard five or seven people have been arrested," he said. "If criminals were arrested this quickly, good governance would be established in Nepal. They are not focusing on that. Instead of resigning after the kind of threat I gave, it has been two days now. I don't think Prem Rai's life is that long. We will finish him off before the 10 days are up."
He also claimed that the police reached various locations in India where he had been residing.
"If he doesn't resign and continues to misuse the police and the courts in this manner... He sent police to all the places in India where I had taken refuge. The owner of the house called me. He is trying to arrest me by sending police to 8-10 places where I had stayed, but he cannot. I am in a highly confidential location. I am changing places four times in an hour," he said. "I want to tell him, instead of trying to catch me, protect your own life."
