An appeal has been filed at the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to grant the status of refugee to one of the top leaders of CPN (Maoist), Mohan Baidya alias Kiran, a leading daily reported.

Senior leader of CPN (Maoist) Mohan Baidya (File Photo)

Senior leader of CPN (Maoist) Mohan Baidya (File Photo)
Anup Mitra, advocate of the rebel leader who has been jailed in the Siliguri prison in the West Bangal state of India for the last two years, sent an appeal to that effect to the UNHCR on Friday, according to Kantipur daily. Mitra had also appealed the High Court in Kolkata to grant the refugee status to Baidya. The appeal was rejected by the Court on July 21 this year.

Baidya’s lawyer has claimed that his client faces threat to his life if he is extradited to Nepal. He claimed that Baidya would be safe throughout the world if he was given the refugee status.

One of the seniormost leaders of the CPN (M), Baidya was arrested by Darjeeling police in Siliguri on March 29, 2004 as per the ‘Red Corner’ notice issued by Interpol. He is facing three separate charges in India including a charge of treason against the Indian state, according to reports.