Kathmandu, April16

The traffic movement in New Road area in the heart of the capital came to a halt all of a sudden Monday morning. Businessmen closed their shops and people thronged near Peepalbot area.

Every passerby was curiously inquiring other people standing on the roadside ‘What is really the matter?’

It was the result of a rumour that said a ghost had made appearance in a house opposite to the Peepalbot by the turning leading to Ranjana Galli.

Rumour was passing around that media persons who entered the five-storey building were slapped and inured by the ghost.

The house owned by Deepak Maskey has remained unoccupied for long because of the rumour that it is haunted.

Swindling information was at first broadcast by the A reporter and camera man of Avenues Television reporter Bhanubhakta Acharya and cameraman Basu Satyal had entered the house accompanied by astrologer and architect expert Madhav Mangal Joshi.

Equipped by relevant device, Joshi had come to investigate the cause behind the abnormal features experienced in the house. The TV crew was covering the investigation with the permission of the house owner.

Nearly one dozen police personnel and three traffic police personnel were deployed to ease the traffic obstruction caused by the unusual crowd that continued for hours.

After an hour of probe, Joshi came to the conclusion that the house was at first affected by radiation from a nearby high tension electricity line and electricity transformer.

Joshi said that the second and third floor of the building were sheltered by Nag or serpents. A high-tension line passes over the building.

"We will carry out detailed investigation of the house in the future," Joshi said after completing his initial investigation on Monday.

A shop owner nearby said that several people and businessmen had rented the rooms of the house but they left after experiencing various troubles.

House owner Maskey denied his house was haunted by ghosts or spirits. "These are just baseless rumours", he said.

Some traders in the area had to close their shops due to disturbance cause by the curious crowd that had gathered in front of the house.