Kathmandu, Jan 31 : The government of Nepal recently deported a Chinese lady who was running an NGO inside Nepal and staying illegally in the country.

Zou Zhiqiang, who was heading an NGO named 'China Foundation for Rural Development', triggered a controversy after a Maoist leader, Gorakh Bahadur KC, allegedly beat her up during relief distribution at Jajarkot in Western Nepal.

Zhiqiang, on behalf of the Chinese NGO, had reached Jajarkot for relief distribution but the local Maoist leaders, including KC, refused to accept the relief materials calling them substandard items which did not come through proper government channels.

Later, she filed a complaint with the local police station and the CPN (Maoist Centre), the ruling party in Nepal, alleging that KC and his team had beaten her up while she was on the way for relief distribution in Jajarkot.

Over 150 people were killed in the November 3 earthquake in Jajarkot.

One of the assistants of local Maoist leader KC had beaten her up on the spot while she was on the way to distribute relief materials. KC and other Maoist leaders accused her of distributing sub-standard relief materials and that the Chinese relief materials were part of corruption.

Dev Gurung, General Secretary of CPN (Maoist Centre), coordinated the relief distribution. Later, the Maoist Center's central committee sought clarification from KC saying why had he beaten up the Chinese national.

KC, in his clarification, stated that she accused him of some baseless allegations and that the party General Secretary Gurung was involved in corruption in relief distribution. Gurung is known for being pro-Chinese leader of the Maoist party who in person took the Chinese lady to Jajarkot to facilitate the relief distribution work.

KC accused Gurung of promoting the Chinese NGO for his personal gains and benefits.

Later, the Maoist party launched an investigation against her and it was found she was living in Nepal illegally.

According to the document obtained by IANS, Home Secretary of Nepal, Dinesh Bhattarai, on December 18 decided to deport her and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on her for overstaying.

As per the immigration rules of Nepal, the government has barred her from entering Nepal for one year, according to the decision taken by Bhattarai.

/IANS