Miscellaneous
Ghainte’s death: Observers, locals contest police claims
A day after police gunned down Kumar Shrestha ‘Ghainte’, many questions have been raised over the death of a thug.A day after police gunned down Kumar Shrestha ‘Ghainte’, many questions have been raised over the death of a thug.
In Parliament, Nepali Congress lawmakers said Ghainte did not die in an encounter as claimed by the police. They demanded that Ghainte be declared a martyr. Lawmakers Jagdish Narsingh KC, Bhimsen Das Pradhan and Kaushar Shah spoke against authorities on the death of the gangster.
The police shot him inside his house and orchestrated an encounter to make people believe that he died in a shoot-out, said Shah. “Since we lack capital punishment, he should be named as a martyr,” Shah told Parliament.
KC called the death an extra-judicial killing. Cadres and leaders close to the NC claimed that the death was a revenge murder, directed by Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam. Dhan Raj Gurung is another Congress leader who has been vocal against the death.
Although police claimed that the two persons who were also shot at were Ghainte’s partners, locals in the area said the duo has no connection with him. Surin Maharjan and Raj Maharjan sustained bullet injuries in the leg.
Some have questioned the police narrative that Ghainte was shot after he fired at the police. Locals and witnesses at Kapurdhara and Samakhusi said they heard multiple bullet sounds. While police claim that there was a shoot-out, the nearby taxi, and motorcycles or the walls of the houses have no bullet marks. Besides, no person in the area confirmed that people had pelted stones at the police from their terraces.
In the past one year, police have killed two notorious gangsters—Ghainte and Dinesh Adhikari ‘Chari’—in ‘encounter’. This has also raised questions whether the police are adopting extra-judicial measures to get rid of criminals instead of following the legal procedure.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sarvendra Khanal, chief of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division, reiterated that they have no intention to kill the people. “We shot at Ghainte in self-defence,” said SSP Khanal. Among a number of complaints against him, the police had been investigating into Ghainte’s amassing of property by illicit means. In the case of the Maharjan brothers, SSP Khanal said they have enough evidence to book them. “It’s not new that people change their statements,” he said.
Human rights activists say they have been condemning encounters as they give a negative message in society. “We provide space for each person to correct themselves. And police authorities too should follow this model,” said Mohna Ansari, spokesperson for the National Human Rights Commission. She added that Ghainte had some time ago requested protection from the NHRC while the commission had sought details as to why he felt unsafe. “We have asked for details in the case including post-mortem report and other investigation files,” said Ansari.
The local community of Samakhusi has mixed reactions to Ghainte’s death. In his neighbourhood, some said they were relieved at his death while others said they did not know any of Ghainte’s acts that affected the community. Many locals believe it would have been better for the police to arrest him rather than shoot him dead.
Like many other notorious gangsters, Ghainte had the image of a ‘social worker’ in the neighbourhood. He was the president of Samakhusi Youth Club that recently felicitated SLC graduates by inviting Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav. Police claimed that he travelled on Yadav’s vehicle after the programme was over.
On Friday, Ghainte’s supporters tried to enforce a shutdown in Kathmandu Constituency No 6. Doctors at the TU Teaching Hospital said an autopsy was yet to be conducted on his body.