The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) have launched investigation into the killing of two leaders of the Maoist-aligned Young Communist League (YCL) in Rupandehi.

The UNMIN and OHCHR investigation sent their teams to Rupandehi to Rupandehi to probe the murder of YCL central committee member Binod Panta and Rupandehi district committee member Sheshmani Lamichhane on Wednesday, allegedly by the activists of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).

In a press statement Thursday, UNMIN condemned the killings and called on authorities to make urgent efforts to bring those responsible to justice.

The UNMIN also confirmed that the second-phase verification of the Maoist combatants had been postponed at the request of the CPN (Maoist) following the killing of YCL leaders.

The UN mission also stated that it expected that the second stage verification would proceed in the next few days.