Relatives of 22-year-old Nirmala Paharai, a journalist working at Kailali FM in Sukhkhad, Kailali and various Dalit organizations staged a protest in Sukhkhad on Friday, October 15 citing that the court is trying to acquit the culprit of Nirmala's murder through financial dealings under the influence of political power.

A case was registered in the district court in the name of her boyfriend Lalit Jagri and Riya Dhana Sanud on the basis of her brother's complaint alleging that they had killed Nirmala. A single bench of Justice Babu Kaji Baniya on Thursday, October 15 ordered the release of the two on a bail of Rs 100,000 each.

The body of Nirmala was found hanging from a tree in Phulbari Community Forest of Ghodaghodi Municipality-5 of Kailali on September 16. Raju Bhattarai, a local, said that he saw Nirmala, Lalit and Dhana on the side of the highway near the incident site at around 12:30 on the same date.

They had chanted slogans such as "Take action against the killer of journalist Nirmala Paharai, we will not leave the killer" and even burnt tires on the road under the Eastern Highway. A joint statement issued by various organizations at a press conference in Dhangadhi before the protest said that Nirmala had been killed and they were compelled to announce a program of agitation to bring justice to Nirmala.

Relatives and Dalit activists have also expressed concern over the post-mortem report. The protestors were from Nepal Rastriya Dalit Welfare Committee, Mission Amvader, Dalit Mukti Morcha, Tharuhat, Tharuwan Rashtriya Morcha, Nepal Dalit Party, Oppressed Coordinating Forum, National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities, Nepal Dalit Mukti Abhiyan, Bishwakarma Samaj, Brother Bishal Paharai and Rights activist Kiran Poudel.

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