A CPN-UML assistant district secretary including two others were mercilessly beaten up by a local Maoist leader in Manau V.D.C, Bardiya on Friday, reports say.

Following a heated argument that erupted during the meeting between United Nations monitoring team, eight parties and human rights activists called to discuss the ways to return seized lands back to the displaced people, Maoist area in charge Ganesh Aryal manhandled CPN-UML assistant district secretary Hari Gyawali and Chatak Chaudhary, participants of the meeting and eyewitnesses said. However, the Maoists district secretary denied the involvement of the area in-charge in the incident and claimed that local farmers and illegal squatters had roughed up UML local leader.