A judicial commission investigating the violent incidents of September 8 and 9 last year in Nepal has recommended criminal action against former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli and the then Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu, Chhabi Rijal.
According to high-level sources from the commission, the report suggests filing criminal charges against Oli and Rijal for their alleged roles in the incident. The commission has also recommended action against the then Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, former Police Chief Chandra Kuber Khapung, and the then head of the Metropolitan Police Office.
The commission further advised the government to form a high-level police committee to investigate who fired shots during the protest, determine how many rounds were used, and take action against those directly involved.
The investigation report was submitted on Sunday to Prime Minister Sushila Karki. The commission, chaired by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki, completed its investigation over 165 days before submitting the findings.
The report was handed over by Chairperson Gauri Bahadur Karki along with commission members Bigyan Raj Sharma and legal expert Bishweshwor Bhandari.
Receiving the report, Prime Minister Karki said the government would study the findings and move forward with the implementation process. She added that if the full document cannot be released immediately, at least the key conclusions of the report will be made public.
Commission Chair Karki said the team worked honestly and without prejudice, including in the report only what was discovered during the investigation. He also noted that the commission had provided recommendations to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Member Bigyan Raj Sharma clarified that the commission’s role was fact-finding, and that the concerned authorities would now need to conduct further investigations based on the foundation established by the report.
Another member, Bishweshwor Bhandari, said that if the recommendations related to good governance mentioned in the report are implemented, the country’s situation could significantly improve.
The report will now be presented to the Council of Ministers for further decision and action, officials said.
