Kathmandu, 12 Dec: The high-level inquiry commission formed to investigate the unimaginable loss of lives and property during the Gen z movement on Bhadra 23 and 24 (Sep 8/9) has reached its final stage of work.
A total of 76 people, including Gen z, lost their lives during the movement. Likewise, 2,429 people were injured, and anarchic groups caused nearly 84.5 billion rupees worth of damage to public and private property through looting, vandalism, and arson. Following the movement, the government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki decided in the Cabinet meeting held on Asoj 5 to form an inquiry commission under the coordination of former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki.
The commission includes former Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Nepal Police, Bigyan Raj Sharma, and legal expert Bishweshwar Prasad Bhandari as members. Formed under Clause 3(2) of the Investigation Commission Act, 2026, the three-member commission began its work on Asoj 9. The commission was mandated to investigate the human and material losses that occurred in Kathmandu and other parts of the country during the protests on Bhadra 23 and 24.
Commission member and spokesperson Bigyan Raj Sharma said statements and interrogations of nearly 100 individuals directly or indirectly involved in the events of Bhadra 23 and 24 have been completed, and preparations are ongoing to take statements from some individuals at the policy level. Sharma said, “We have taken statements from most of those related to the incident. After recording the statements of some senior officials from the policy level, we will finalize and submit our report.” He added that statements from individuals in the security and administrative sectors have been completed and that the commission will soon take statements from the then Prime Minister and Home Minister.
The commission is also working on preparing a report with recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future by investigating and analyzing the reasons behind the excessive use of force, arson, vandalism, looting, and the unimaginable human and material losses suffered by the country during the movement.
Spokesperson Sharma said all individuals summoned by the commission attended voluntarily, participating in both written and oral statements, and that the commission has been carrying out its responsibilities independently and impartially, without any influence or pressure. The commission has already recorded statements from police officers deployed in Maitighar Mandala and New Baneshwor on Bhadra 23, and on Thursday it took statements from the then Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, Armed Police Force Chief Raju Aryal, and former Chief of the National Investigation Department Hutaraj Thapa. On the first day of the Gen z protest, Bhadra 23, 22 teenagers were killed in police firing; the commission is preparing to investigate whether the shooting was lawful, whether orders were issued, and to recommend action if security lapses are found.
Earlier, the commission began taking statements regarding the ‘jailbreak’ incidents across the country during the movement from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane, who is currently detained at Nakkhu Prison, and the prison chief, Satya Raj Joshi. Meanwhile, the commission has also taken statements from security personnel deployed during the protests, then Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal, then Police Chief Chandrakuber Khapung, and Kathmandu District Administration Office Chief Chhabi Raj Rizal.
Statements to be taken from Oli and Lekhak
The commission is preparing to take statements from then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, who were in office during the Gen z movement. Earlier, the commission had imposed travel restrictions and withheld the passports of Oli, Lekhak, Duwadi, Khapung, Thapa, and Rizal. Due to the extensive physical destruction caused by arson during the movement, the commission has collected samples from the sites to determine whether chemicals were used in a planned manner and sent them for testing. The commission has also collected details of the damage caused by looting, vandalism, and arson to private industries, establishments, buildings, factories, and private homes.
Since the commission’s three-month term ends on Poush 9, it has ramped up its work to submit a complete investigation report with recommendations within the deadline.
Expansion of the commission’s mandate
On Wednesday, according to the 10-point agreement reached between the government and the Genji group, the scope of the commission’s mandate was expanded. The expanded mandate includes investigating extrajudicial killings and human rights violations caused by excessive use of force during the movement; conducting further fact-finding and verification of the incidents; investigating organized violent activities under the concept of truth-seeking and reconciliation; and screening and investigating cases filed solely due to participation in the protests. If the commission finds that such cases were not premeditated, it must recommend to the government within 15 days that detainees be released and charges filed against them be withdrawn.
