Rajbiraj, August 6

A high-level inquiry committee set up by the government in Province 2 to investigate the fatal clash between cadres of then CPN-UML and Madhes-based parties about two years ago has started its work.

Earlier, the provincial government here had set up a separate probe committee led by Internal Affairs and Law Minister Gyanendra Kumar Yadav to investigate the incident refusing to accept the ‘unilateral and biased’ report of the National Human Rights Commission.

The committee, which includes Social Development Minister Nawal Kishor Sah and Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Shailendra Prasad Sah of the province visited the incident site in Rajbiraj today to start its work.

“As mandated, we’re preparing to investigate the incident and submit a report to the office of the Council of Ministers in a fortnight,” said Yadav, the coordinator the committee.

Five persons had lost their lives when police fired at a clash between the cadres of then CPN-UML and agitators aligned to Madhes-based parties at a mass meeting organised by the UML in Maleth, Saptari,  as per its Mechi-Mahakali campaign on March 6 last year. To investigate the incident, NHRC had formed a high level committee led by former justice Tahir Ali Ansari. The commission had taken almost two years and then made its report public.

“We’ll meet the victims, witnesses of the incident, journalists, mediapersons and officials of security bodies in the course of preparing the report,” said Sailendra Pd Sah, while the province-formed probe committee coordinator Yadav called on journalists during a meeting of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Saptari chapter meeting hall to help by providing true information about the incident today. The team is to meet the families of victims and locals tomorrow morning.

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