Ignoring the National Human Rights Commission’s call to form a committee to investigate into the Rangeli police firing in which three people were killed, Home Minister Shakti Basnet said on Thursday that the government had no plans to form any such committee.  

On January 21, Dropadi Devi Chaudhary, Mahadev Rishidev and Shibu Majhi were killed in police firing when cadres of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha attempted to disrupt a programme organised by the CPN-UML’s youth wing Youth Association Nepal (YAN) in Rangeli of Morang.

Talking to reporters in Biratnagar Airport on Thursday, Basnet said, “The government has not thought about forming any committee to look into the [Rangeli] incident.” Basnet’s remarks come a week after the District Administration Office formed a probe committee under the coordination of UCPN (Maoist) Morang constituency-4 lawmaker Shiva Kumar Mandal. The committee comprises CPN-UML district Chairman Mahesh Regmi and Nepali Congress’s Yadu Bista and other representatives from various organisations.

Activists of agitating Madhes-based parties have already said that they “do not recognise the DAO-formed committee” and demanded a high level probe commission at the government level.

While calling on the government to investigation into the incident on January 23, the NHRC had said, “It is a serious violation of established international human rights and citizens’ right to assemble peacefully, and their right to life.”

Home Minister Basnet’s statement on Thursday against forming any probe committee may also dash hopes of the kin of the deceased, who had claimed the bodies after the local administration had agreed to write to the Home Ministry recommending martyrs status for the deceased and free treatment for the injured protesters.

How things have panned out

• Jan 21: Three people were killed when police opened fire on protesters in Rangeli of Morang
• Jan 22: The District Administration Office forms a panel under UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker to probe into the incident. Madhesi activists refuse to recognise it
• Jan 23: The National Human Rights Commission asks government to investigate into the incident and bring the guilty to book
• Jan 24: The kin of the victims receive bodies after local administration agrees to right to the Home Ministry recommending martyrs status for the deceased
• Jan 28: Home Minister Shakti Basnet says the government has no plans to form any committee to investigate into the incident