KATMANDU, Nepal: A search continued for a journalist abducted last week in western Nepal and one suspect has been arrested, a police official said Tuesday.
Freelance journalist Prakash Thakuri was kidnapped July 5 from his home in Kanchanpur town, about 550 kilometers (330 miles) west of the capital Katmandu, said police official Chabilal Joshi.
Officials received an e-mail Monday night claiming Thakuri had been killed, however, Joshi said no body had been found, and officers were trying to trace the origin of the message.
Raids on suspected locations where Thakuri may have been held were carried out, Joshi said, adding one suspect who allegedly confessed involvement in the abduction was arrested. He provided no more details.
Thakuri wrote favorable stories on King Gyanendra after the monarch seized absolute power of the Himalayan nation on Feb. 1, 2005. The reporter remained a staunch supporter even after the unpopular monarch's ascent from power last year.
Gyanendra was forced to give up his authoritarian rule in April 2006 after weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations, in which 19 people died.
