Kathmandu, July 12 -- The death of a member of the Communist Party of Nepal in police firing in Bhojpur on Wednesday has once again raised concerns over the government's approach to dealing with the Netra Bikram Chand-led outfit.

Nir Kumar Rai is the eighth member of the Chand party to die since March when the government declared it a criminal outfit. A police constable, Sanjeev Rai, was also killed on Wednesday. According to eyewitnesses, Chand party members had first opened fire on police, which fired in retaliation.

On June 20, Kumar Paudel, Sarlahi in-charge of the Chand party, was killed in police firing at Lalbandi of the district. The government, like in the case of Rai, has said Paudel was killed when police was forced to retali...