Nepal launches probe into 'abduction' claims of Maoists' MP

Nepal has launched a probe into claims by a Maoist lawmaker that an Indian embassy staffer had threatened him, even as the mission dismissed it as "baseless and irresponsible allegation".

Foreign minister and deputy prime minister Sujata Koirala today told Parliamentary panel looking into the matter that her ministry has started a probe into the allegations by Ram Kumar Sharma, who joined the United CPN-Maoist after quitting Terai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) about a year ago.

The Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations and Human Rights, which was probing the claims by Maoist lawmaker, had summoned caretaker prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and
Koirala last week over the issue.

In her clarification today, Koirala told the panel that the foreign ministry is looking into the matter and that it had already started investigation and had received a response from the Indian Embassy in writing, saying that the allegations were baseless and irresponsible.

Nepal did not appear before the Parliamentary committee, saying the Foreign Minister's response would be sufficient in the matter.

Lawmakers attending the Parliamentary panel meeting demanded that the government investigate the incident and expel the embassy staffer by declaring him a persona-non-grata if found guilty. They also demanded an apology from the Indian Embassy for threatening a lawmaker.

The Maoist lawmaker had told a private television channel that he had been threatened by a consular of Indian Embassy ahead of the fourth round of voting in the parliament to elect a new prime minister.
   
He also claimed that the Indian official threatened to abduct him and warned that his daughter would be expelled from the embassy-run Kendriya Vidyalaya.

However, Indian embassy spokesperson Apoorva Srivastav has dismissed the allegations as "baseless and irresponsible".    

"The embassy does not dignify such baseless and irresponsible allegation," Srivastav was quoted as saying in the media.