APF accused of killing youth in Kavre

Kavre, May 14

Armed Police Force personnel have been accused of gunning down a youth on the eve of the first phase of civic polls in Kavre.

Nabaraj Pathak, 28, was shot dead when a group of youths were chatting on the roadside in Methinkot, Namobudhha Municipality.

Though Deputy Superintendent of Police Nabin Kumar Rai at Kavre district police office said police were clueless about who opened fire, locals have accused APF personnel of killing Pathak.

Prem Prasad Acharya, who was with Nabaraj when the incident happened, alleged that APF personnel had shot Nabaraj. Another eyewitness, Sita Chimauriya, said, “My mom was serving rice. I heard a speeding bike and a bang. Nabaraj had already collapsed when we came out.”

APF Superintendent of Police Shyam Kunwar, however, said the APF team was on its way to Kanpur through  Methinkot when it heard two shots. “When the APF team was en  route to Kanpur, a bike came speeding. When we tried to stop it, the biker  opened fire on the team. The same bullet might have hit Nabaraj,” SP  Kunwar claimed. Kunwar said Nabaraj breathed his last while being rushed  to the hospital.

Polling could not take place at Methinkot polling centre after the family of the deceased said they would not allow polls to take place unless their demands were met.

Locals today submitted a memorandum to Kavre CDO Shiva Simkhada demanding that Nabaraj be declared a martyr, a judicial committee be formed to probe the killing, the guilty be punished and compensation be paid to the deceased’s family.

CDO Simkhada said he had forwarded the demands put forward by the locals to the home ministry.

Chief Election Officer Medini Prasad Paudel, CDO Simkhada and District Election Officer Madhukar Prasad Pokhrel reached the incident site and talked to the victim’s family and locals today.

Pathak had got married only last year and had a 45-day old  son. Pathak’s 50-year-old mother, Devi, lost consciousness after hearing of his death and is being treated in a local hospital