By Sudeshna Sarkar,

Kathmandu, Sept 1 (IANS) In a covert manoeuvre that is bound to affect the ongoing peace talks with the Maoist guerrillas, Nepal's new government tried to get arms and ammunition from Europe but both bids were shot down by the Indian government.

A huge shipment of 12.7 mm machineguns, ammunition, missiles and probably other weapons bought from Emco Ltd in Sofia, Bulgaria, was scheduled to reach Kathmandu last month.

Along with a cargo of aircraft equipment from Sue Orsha Aircraft of Belarus, that could include pods to carry and shoot rockets, the arms cache was shipped to the Master General of Ordnance of the Nepal Army through Russian transporter Kosmos Air Company.

Kosmos had shipped the cargo in two AN-12 aircraft. However, neither the senders nor the intended recipients had taken into account that the aircraft would have to pass through Indian air space.

The first one, while trying to reach Kathmandu via western Indian Gujarat state three days ago, was blocked by the Indian authorities and forced to land at the Ahmedabad Airport.

While it is not confirmed, local reports here said the crew had tried to dupe the Indian authorities into thinking the cargo did not include arms but the latter became suspicious, given the flight route of the aircraft, and forced it to land at the Ahmedabad Airport.

Shortly after the debacle, a second aircraft sought permission to land at Mumbai airport for refuelling before heading for Kathmandu but was denied permission.

The double whammy leaves the Girija Prasad Koirala government of Nepal red-faced since it had been feigning ignorance when the media broke the news of one aircraft being apprehended by the Indian authorities.

"We do not know anything about that consignment," Koirala's adviser on foreign affairs, Suresh Chalise, told a local daily. "An inquiry is on to find out who had struck the deal."

The deal is believed to have been struck during King Gyanendra's absolute rule last year when his foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey visited Russia between October 23-26. What is surprising is the new democratic government's covert move to keep the agreement quiet and take possession of the arms at a time it is holding peace negotiations with the Maoists.

The double disclosure would fuel deep resentment among the guerrillas, who have already condemned the first bid to transport arms.

"We have taken serious note of the incident,' senior Maoist leader and member of the rebels' dialogues team, Dinanath Sharma, said referring to the failed attempt by the Nepal Army to obtain missiles from Bulgaria and Belarus.

"It is a matter of serious concern that the government is trying to procure arms at a time it is holding peace talks with us. It is a gross violation of the code of conduct they signed with us to observe during the ongoing ceasefire."

"If the government is really in the dark about the incident, then it smacks of a conspiracy by the palace and foreign powers to stage another coup," Sharma said.