Chauntra (Mandi), June 14
The disappearance of Palaki Domla, a key link in the case pertaining to the arrest of eight Taiwanese nationals, and the recent stay of a Kathmandu-based Lama, Sonam, in this “suspicious benami multi-crore house” here has deepened the mystery of the case.

The interrogation of eight Taiwanese nationals and Chetan, the caretaker of the plush house, could not make much headway today. The police is not ruling out the possibility of Chinese links of the Taiwanese nationals. The police said they were all in the 30-year age group and were working as painters and designers. The house remains a mystery and so are the sources of Rs 29.63 lakh seized by the police from this house along with iphones, a laptop and a video camera.

The probe by the police, the Enforcement Directorate, the Intelligence Bureau and military intelligence is under way.

Adding to the mystery is the recent visit of a Kathmandu-based Lama, Sonam, who, sources claimed, stayed in this house for a week till May 5. After that he moved to a nunnery and gompa, Padiyyarkhar, near here. He had also met the Karmapa at his headquarters and at Bhetu, Sere Billing, where the police had impounded luxury cars of Bhutanese origin before Sonam returned to Kathmandu, the sources added.

The police was yet to arrest the woman, Palaki, who allegedly had links with the Kathmandu Lama, the sources said.

The police is yet to hire a Chinese interpreter, which is delaying the probe. Mandi SP Abhishek Dular has been using the iphones to investigate Taiwanese messages and phone calls from the SIMs seized from them. As soon as a team of investigators took Chetan inside the house for spot investigation, six ferocious dogs tied inside the house barked at them. Three women and a boy resisted the entry of mediapersons inside the house.

These women, the sources said, worked as cooks in the house and served food to the eight Taiwanese booked under the Foreigners Act.

Namgyal, a Tibetan who has been living here for the past more than 20 years, said Chetan was his friend and lived in the house for the past two years. However, he did not know where he belonged to, he added.

The Mandi SP said the police was probing the credentials of the eight Taiwanese and Chetan. It was also trying to locate Palaki. Chetan does not have a Tibetan registration number, which is mandatory for all Tibetan refugees. Nothing conclusive could be said about their Chinese links as of now, he added.

Chetan’s lawyer NP Singh from Delhi today claimed that the “house belongs to Chetan”. However, the police does not buy his argument as Chetan does not have any document to support his claims. 

New Delhi, June 14
The National Human Rights Commission today issued notices to the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh and the Superintending Engineer, state electricity board, in the case pertaining to the electrocution of a Chamba boy who lost both his arms in the accident.

Taking suo motu cognisance of The Tribune report and an editorial on the issue, the NHRC directed the state government to submit a detailed report in four weeks and explain the negligence that led to the boy losing both his arms.

The boy’s arms had to be amputated after he came in contact with an electric wire on March 18. The commission observed that the contents of The Tribune report raised a serious issue of violation of human rights of a child who had been rendered physically challenged for no fault of his.

The Tribune reported that 10-year-old Rohit of Bhukri village in Chamba was playing in the fields when he contacted a live electric wire hanging around in the bushes. He fell unconscious and later doctors had to sever both his arms to save him.

The state power board gave him a paltry compensation of Rs 5,000 showing complete apathy towards the tragic incident that led to the bright student becoming permanently disabled. The victim’s father has alleged that while giving the compensation, officials from the electricity board got some paper signed from them.

It was also reported that an inquiry had been entrusted into the incident to the Executive Engineer, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, Chamba.

Hamirpur, June 14
The district police has arrested 58 migrants from various parts of the district last night.

The police has arrested two migrants on Wednesday on the charges of committing a theft at Badbdar village under the Sujanpur police station.

It had arrested Ajay alias Virren of Katiyar village and Ram Prakash of Teegchhia village, both hailing from Punia district of Bihar, in the theft case. — TNS

Shimla, June 14
A six-member team from the International Centre of the Roerichs (ICR), Moscow, will arrive here tomorrow to undertake the exhaustive work of cataloguing the paintings and other creations of Nicholas Roerich, which are in the possession of the International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT) at Naggar in Kullu.

Sergy Karmalito, Senior Consul in the Russian Embassy, has already arrived in Naggar on June 11 to facilitate the work to be undertaken by the team of curators and experts from Moscow. The team will stay in Naggar for one month before returning on July 16 after completing the task entrusted to it.

Interestingly, Chiryatyev Mikhail, who was appointed as curator in place of Elina Adamkova at the IRMT, is also part of the delegation from the ICR. Even though the Himachal Government had expressed reservation about his appointment and conveyed it to the Russian Embassy, it is uncertain whether he will formally take over as curator in the presence of the Russian official at Naggar.

The term of former curator Adamkova had expired in December 2011 and the possibility of Mikhail taking over cannot be ruled out.

Chief Secretary S Roy said a final decision on the appointment of curators would be taken at a meeting of the Trust and reservations about appointing Mikhail had already been conveyed to the Russian Embassy. A lifetime trustee, SS Chandel, has urged the state government to ensure the smooth functioning of the IRMT and make sure that all donations are accounted for and it is registered under the Foreign Contribution Registration Act (FCRA) so that every penny is accounted for before the takeover by the new curator and executive director.

Amid the raging controversy, the Himachal Government had invited the team from the ICR, Moscow, to undertake the cataloguing work of the paintings of the great Russian artist so that there was a proper record of the creative works and artifacts left behind by the artist. Even though the Russian Embassy had reservations with regard to the involvement of the ICR in the exercise, the Himachal Government was keen that the work was accomplished by experts who had been closely associated with Roerich’s work.