Chitwan police have arrested Bishwanath Tharu Mahesh in connection with the May 12th arson attack on a school bus belonging to Small Haven School in Kalyanpur, Bharatpur.
According to police reports, a group of individuals, including Mahesh, stopped bus number 06-001 Ka 0045 on the morning of May 12th and set it ablaze using a petrol bomb. The bus was destroyed in the fire.
Interestingly, police identified the arrested suspect as the chairman of the school management committee for Shosi National Secondary School, located in Bharatpur-25. His arrest from the school premises sparked a protest from the school’s administration.
The investigation revealed that Mahesh was not alone in the bus arson. Police are searching for the remaining individuals involved, who reportedly arrived on three motorcycles.
This is not Mahesh’s first alleged brush with criminal activity, according to police. Authorities claim he was also involved in an earlier incident on February 11th, 2024, where a group threatened employees and set fire to the Suryodaya Womi microfinance institution in Bharatpur-26 Jyotinagar.
Police obtained a 7-day extension from the Chitwan District Court for further investigation into Mahesh’s activities. Authorities expressed concern that an individual entrusted with a position of responsibility in a school management committee would be allegedly involved in repeated criminal acts.
Reports further allege Mahesh’s prior affiliation with the Netra Bikram Chand Biplav Maoist group, from which he has reportedly rebelled and is now said to be engaged in independent criminal activities within the district.
