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By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Kathmandu
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Maoist fighters are cantoned under a peace deal
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Life in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, has been brought to a halt by a general shutdown, called in protest at a killing by Maoist former rebels.
Human rights activists say the Maoists killed a Kathmandu businessman inside one of their military camps in southern Nepal earlier this month.
The former rebels say it was an isolated incident.
The Maoists face persistent accusations even though they won assembly elections and are working to form a government.
'Selfish'
Kathmandu's biggest streets were thronged by pedestrians on Wednesday with barely a motor vehicle moving.
Businesses and schools were also closed down.
In one part of town owners of fast-food restaurants burnt an effigy of the Maoist leader, Prachanda.
The strike was called by the family and colleagues of a restaurant-owner, Ram Hari Shrestha, who died in mysterious circumstances earlier this month.
The family says members of the Maoist army kidnapped him and beat him to death.
Civil society activists say he was tortured inside one of the camps where the former rebel soldiers are cantoned as part of a 2006 peace agreement.
Under that accord, those camps are placed under monitoring by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMin).
The mission says Maoist military commanders have admitted to it that Maoist soldiers did kill Mr Shrestha.
UNMin has condemned the incident, but told the BBC it was not yet clear where the victim died. His body has not been found.
The Maoist leader, Prachanda, says the killing was the work of isolated people within his party whom he called "selfish".
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