According to Gautam Sah, who is eldest son of the victim, SSB Inspector Hitendra Singh had crossed into Nepali territory on his motorcycle (BR 38 B 0036) along with constable Mohan Singh Soda and had shot dead 55-year-old Sah in his home on May 25, 2010.

Singh had crossed into Nepali territory looking for head constable Shambhu Chaudhary of Amahiyati Police Post following a dispute over the issue of cross-border smuggling. The enraged Singh had then shot and killed Sah alleging that he had hidden Chaudhary inside his house.

Following the incident which brought trans-border movement to a standstill at Khayarbana border point with huge number of security personnel deployed on both sides, the local administration had assured to declare Sah a martyr, provide compensation to the victim’s family, recommend Sah’s son for a job and correspond to India’s SSB to take proper action against Singh following protest from the family and locals.

However, Gautam said that nothing has been done as promised till date.

“I have been forced to run from pillar to post requesting the concerned government agencies to help my family get justice. But even after spending more than Rs 200,000 travelling to Kathmandu to visit the Home Ministry and Nepal Police Headquarters in an attempt to get justice, nothing substantial has been achieved,” Gautam lamented.   

“We had forwarded two letter to the district administration following the incident, but to no avail,” said Kosh Raj Neupane, chief of National Human Rights Council’s regional office in the district.

Meanwhile, expressing ignorance on the matter as it had happened before his transfer to the district, Chief District Officer Ganesh Raj Karki said that he will raise the issue during the meeting of the officials from the two countries. Karki also assured to take up the matter with the Home Ministry if the local administration made those assurances as claimed by the victim’s family.