12/31/2023
Kathmandu, Dec. 31: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to bring a proposal to form a high-level inquiry commission on the Balkumari incident in which two youths were killed.
Two youths were killed in clashes between the police and protesters during a protest over the issue of Employment Permit System (EPS) exam application on Friday.
According to the prime minister's press advisor Govinda Acharya, PM Dahal has instructed the Home Ministry to bring a proposal to form a high-level inquiry commission to investigate the incident.
The commission will be formed under the chairmanship of a former judge according to Section 3 (2) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1969.
Acharya said that a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Monday will take a formal decision on the matter and that the commission will start work from Monday itself.
On Friday, the Home Ministry formed a committee headed by Deputy Inspector General Lalmani Acharya at Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari, to investigate the Balkumari incident.
Lalitpur’s Assistant Chief District Officer Amardeep Sunuwar and Deputy Director of National Investigation Department Basu Sigdel are members of the committee.
Sujan Rawat, 23, of Dailekh and Birendra Shah, 22, of Achham died during the clash in Balkumari on Friday. Rawat had a bruise mark on his chest while Shah died of bullet injuries. The government has decided to provide a relief of Rs 1 million each to the families of the deceased.
The Home Ministry has suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Lamsal, the field commander, for giving orders to open fire during the protest.
The protestors also torched Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala’s vehicle (Ba 2 Jha 5861) at Balkumari of Lalitpur on Friday noon.
The Home Ministry has also suspended Minister Jwala’s PSO Sub-inspector Bodhraj Danuwar and Director of EPS Korea branch office Gurudatta Subedi.
Similarly, SSP Siddhi Bikram Shah, chief of District Police Range, Lalitpur, has been transferred to the Police Headquarters at Naxal and Chief District Officer of Lalitpur Rudra Prasad Pandit to the Home Ministry.