Five Maoists including one of their lawmakers and a platoon commander were arrested for entering into the Bardiya National Park (BNP) with illegal arms and without permission.

Maoist lawmaker Narayan Prasad Sharma, platoon commander Shiv Raj Simkhada and section commander Kamal Sarki, Ashok Chand and Nara Bahadur Budha were arrested while they were entering the BNP with a submachine gun (SMG) and a 9mm boundary pistol.

The NA’s Ranasher Gulma deployed for the national park security detained them for two hours. They were, however, released later after consultation with Home Ministry.

According to NA officer, the Maoists had been arrested as the law forbids individuals from entering into protected national parks while bearing arms.

The incident comes at a time when the Maoists are being accused of continuing their high-handedness even after they joined the parliamentary politics.