Kathmandu, August 26

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba today questioned the government’s ability to provide justice to people and accused it of protecting the culprits in 13-year-old Nirmala’s murder.

He charged the government of killing an innocent teenager, who was seeking justice for the murder of another teenager.

Fourteen-year-old Shani Khuna was killed in police firing in Bhimdatta Municipality, Kanchanpur,  yesterday while protesting police failure to book the actual murderer of Nirmala Panta,whose body was found in a sugarcane field on July 26. Five others were injured in the firing.

Former prime minister Deuba also asked the government where the victims would go for justice if the state itself protected culprits.    “Misusing authority to save those involved in crime is also a crime. Moreover, identifying an innocent citizen as culprit and initiating action is the height of crime,” he said at a meeting of the House of the Representatives today. “I would like to request the government to be serious in this regard,” he added.

Deuba also said it was normal for locals to be agitated when the state tried to protect the culprit, but a teenager was killed and others were injured when the state could not exercise restraint.

Stating that Nirmala was just a case in point and that an increasing number of such incidents was occurring across the country, Deuba appealed to all to rise above political interest and be serious about the dignity, security and respect of Nepali daughters. Speaking in the Parliament, Deuba also said that paying taxes was the duty of a responsible citizen, but the government should make sure the taxes levied were justified and that citizens were getting facilities as per the taxes they paid.

“I request the government to study whether the increased taxes are practical and roll back exorbitant tax hikes,” he said, requesting Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to take initiatives to form a National Natural Resources and Finance Commission at the earliest. He also urged the government to revise the civil and criminal code which had affected press freedom, dignity of medical practitioners and police investigation. Deuba also urged the government to enact necessary laws related to parliamentary hearing, and conclude the appointment process of the chief justice soon.