Demand for Parliamentary Committee to Probe Into West Rukum Death Case

26 May, Kathmandu : Parliamentarians have asked the government for the formation of a parliamentary committee to probe into the death case occurred in West Rukum. At the meeting of House of Representatives (HoR) today, Nepali Congress lawmaker Min Bahadur BK said that caste-based violence and murder was not tolerable to the civilized society and called for the formation of a high-level parliamentary committee to probe the truth of the case.

He called it a big massacre in Nepal’s history. “Six persons lost their lives in the case of caste-based discrimination. Bodies of three are recovered and three are still missing. It is unfortunate that the government has not formed a (parliamentary) probe committee,” BK added. MPs Parbati Kumar Bishunkhe and Renuka Gurung echoed BK’s statement for the formation of a high-level probe team.

Likewise, ruling party’s MP Janardan Sharma said that the administrations from Jajarkot and West Rukum were proactively working for the fair probe of the incident adding that political pressure was not likely to investigate the issue.

Similarly, Prakash Rasaili of NC asked for the formation of a parliamentary probe team comprising the federal parliamentarians from West Rukum and Jajarkot. MPs Laxmi Pariyar, Bimala BK, Dev Prasad Timilsina, Niradevi Jairu, Sujata Pariyar, Ashakumari BK, Umashankar Argariya, Binda Pandey, Khagarj Adhikari, Prem Suwal, Minendra Rijal, Bal Krishna Khanda and Satat Singh Bhandari among others also demanded that the high-level probe committee be formed and taken stern action against the culprits.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa informed the House meeting about the formation of a five-member probe committee over the issue. He said that the five-member team was formed under the leadership of Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home comprising an SSP of Nepal Police, an officer of National Investigation Department, an officer of the Office of Attorney General and an Under-Secretary of the Ministry to probe the incident surfaced between the youth of two districts over a wedding case.

It is said that a group of 19 youth including 21 years old Nabaraj BK of Bheri Municipality-4 from Jajarkot had left for Chaurjahari Municipality-8 in West Rukum district to bring 17-year-old Sushma Malla after marrying to BK, which ultimately resulted into a deadly clash over the two sides.

The dead bodies of the youth recovered so far have been kept in Jajarkot Hospital for the postmortem. According to Minister Thapa, the dead bodies of Nabaraj BK, Tikaram Sunar, 20, of Chaurjahari-1 and Ganesh Budha, 17, of Bheri Municipality were recovered and a search for those missing is ongoing. Those missing are Lokendra Sunar, Govinda Shahi and Sanju BK.

Minister Thapa said that 12 persons including bride Sushma, her father Bir Bahadur Malla, mother Prakashi and ward chairperson Dambar Malla are held by the police for investigation. In response to the concerns of the MPs, Minister Thapa committed to establishing rule of law in the country and announced to bring the truth and fact of the case to the public notice sooner than later. Urging the lawmakers not to politicize the issue, he urged all not to harbor doubts on government intention over the probe and promised to book the culprits at any cost.