Concluding that police unnecessarily used force to kill Kumar Paudel, Sarlahi In-charge of Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, after taking him under control, the National Human Rights Commission today recommended that the government should take action against officials involved in the killing.

Paudel was killed in Lalbandi, Sarlahi, in police action on June 20. Police had fired nine shots at Paudel.

Although police claimed that Paudel was killed in an encounter and they had to open fire in self-defence, the NHRC’s investigation found no evidence to support the claim, it stated in a press release today.

This undated image shows the entrance gate and the building of National Human Rights Commission, in Pulchowk, Lalitpur. Photo courtesy: Raunak Maskay

“Based on the nature of the incident and collected evidences, the NHRC’s investigation found Paudel was killed after being taken under control,” read the NHRC press release. “Police also erred while collecting information from the incident site and examining the body from medico-legal perspective.”

The NHRC has recommended that the government should investigate officers issuing orders to police officials who acted against Paudel and bring them to book.

The human rights body also recommended that the government immediately suspend police officials directly involved in the incident, including Inspector Krishna Dev Prasad Shah and constables Binod Shah and Satya Narayan Mishra, and file a criminal case against them.

The NHRC also recommended that the government should reprimand Inspector Kiran Prasad Neupane and Sub-Inspector Surya Kumar Karki for erring while collecting information from the incident site.

The NHRC recommended that the government should also reprimand Dr Birendra Kumar Mandal of Sarlahi District Hospital, Malangwa, for not maintaining minimum standards while conducting autopsy on Paudel’s body.

The human rights watchdog stated that Paudel’s right to life was violated in the incident and the government should provide Rs 300,000 in compensation to Paudel’s kin.

It also recommended that the government should invite the CPN to talks so as to control its illegal activities.

It has recommended that the CPN should take into account others’ rights while exercising their rights and immediately stop its violent activities and extortion. It urged the outfit to join competitive politics in a democratic and peaceful manner.

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa had claimed that Paudel was killed in crossfire between cadres of the CPN and police.  Thapa had also told the House of Representatives that Paudel was killed while police were taking action to ‘defend democracy’.

A version of this article appears in print on October 22, 2019 of The Himalayan Times.