Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 16:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today made public its findings of a study conducted on four separate incidents of human rights violations allegedly committed by security personnel and the Maoists over the last two months.

Three incidents occurred at Bargadawa village of Somani VDC in Nawalparasi, Pipaldanda VDC in Sindhupalchowk and Chidipani VDC in Palpa in which 15 people were killed.

The committee has recommended the government take necessary action against those responsible for the incidents and provide compensation to the victims in accordance with the policy. The NHRC found that 10 people, including a 14-year-old, were killed at Bargadawa when Maoists cordoned off the village and opened fire on them on the night of April 15. The Maoists attacked the village to avenge the murder of five lower caste people by a Maoist Resistant Committee accusing them of being Maoists. The report said about 25 Chamars fled their homes after the resistant committee killed the members of their community and set on fire their houses.

The government had provided Rs 2,000 each in cash to families of those killed by the Maoists. The NHRC recommended that the government provide Rs 1,50,000 each to the bereaved families.

In Pipaldanda, the NHRC found that three people, Surendra Basnet, 25, Shankar Bhandari, 45 and Shri Ram Chauhan, 45, were killed and scores of others injured when about 50 Maoists stormed the village on April 27. Earlier on April 16, the villagers had captured and handed over five Maoists to the police after the rebels demanded a sum of Rs 30,000 from one Bhakta Bahadur Basnet and Rs 20,000 fr-om Shamsher Bahadur Basnet.

In the Chidipani shoot out in March 22, the NHRC said three students, Narayan Kanauje, 17, Dal Bahadur Darlami, 15, and Tek Bahadur Gaha, 15, were killed when security personnel travelling in a bus opened fire on students raising funds to celebrate the Holi festival from vehicles plying along the Siddhartha Highway.

Security officials at Shri No 22 Bahini, Butwal, and Rana Bam Gulm in Palpa, admitted to killing the students and said they had already recommended the army headquarters for compensation. Earlier, the District Police Office, Palpa, had claimed that the three were Maoists and were killed in an encounter.

In Kanchanpur, the NHRC said three students affiliated to the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union were injured when security forces from the Surya Dal Gulm, Bhagatpur, opened fire at a gathering of students at Jana Jyoti Campus on April 29. It was also found that the students had taken prior permission to organise the meeting. The NHRC has asked the government to provide the victims a compensation of Rs 50,000 each.

Commission helped save lives: Khatri

KATHMANDU: NHRC chairman Nayan Bahadur Khatri on Monday said more people would have been killed or disappeared had the commission not been formed five years ago. Addressing a press meet organised to make public a report on four separate incidents of human rights violations, Khatri said a number of cases of rights abuses would have gone unreported had the commission not raised such issues. — HNS