Four days after being arrested during a protest at in Baidapataura, Rautahat, Ladai Shah, 40, was still in police custody. He was severely beaten by UML cadres and had to be taken to Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu where he died while being treated for injury. This Rautahat native was demonstrating against newly elected prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, a candidate they had rejected during the elections.

Home Ministry, currently headed by Nepal, had ordered Shah's arrest and UML party workers were given a free rein to beat him up. PM Nepal should take responsibility for his death. Only two weeks have passed since the UML-led government was formed and incidents of violence are becoming common. Shah had never even shown a black flag. But even if he had, it was his right. There needs to be an inquiry into the killing of an ordinary citizen held in police custody.

Meanwhile, unlike in the past, the media has shown little interest in this tragedy. Neither have the Maoist leaders protested effectively against it. When a UML party worker was killed, the party went as far as to stop parliamentary sessions and call for strikes and the media gave it wide coverage as well. We are not saying that the Maoists should do the same but if this incident goes unnoticed then the UML will be on a suicidal path.