Beating Of Image
The Maoists find themselves cornered over the gruesome murder of a businessman within PLA captivity
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
Maoists have been used to occasional outburst of public anger over the atrocities committed by their cadres. Be it the Madi bomb blast, murder of journalist Birendra Shah or abduction of a hotelier from Kathmandu.
Bereaved family : Grief and anger
But the current episode of what has been established as a brutal murder of a Koteshwore businessman Ramhari Shrestha following his abduction and torture inside the UN-monitored People’s Liberation Army (PLA) cantonment in Chitwan, has continued to boil for past two weeks forcing the Maoist leadership to go on back foot.
As it comes amid Maoist preparation to hold the mantle of new government and their desire to demonstrate democratic credentials, the gruesome episode has smeared the party’s image. The daily demonstration by common people and workers of other parties demanding the scalp of Chitwan camp chief Kali Bahadur Kham ‘Bibidh’ and the public apology from Prachanda has forced the latter to issue two statements and meet with Shrestha’s relatives twice. Subsequently, he also signed a seven-point pact with the family promising action and compensation. The issue has also become an agenda in the ongoing dialogue among political parties to end the political deadlock. It has been raised by other parties as evidence of atrocities by Maoists especially its paramilitary units like YCL.
The Maoists suspended Bibidh from his position as commander of third division and agreed to cooperate in the investigation of the incident. But the family members have demanded the dead body of Shrestha, public apology and outright arrest of Bibidh. The family is holding protest in Koteshwore by staging fast.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, a body purported to be that of Shrestha was found at the bank of Trishuli River in Jugedi of Kabilas VDC. A Maoist brigade commander, Govinda Bahadur Batala 'Jibit' who is in police custody related with the incident has claimed that the body is that of Shrestha’s.
Probe Teams
Under street pressure, the government and the Maoists have, both, formed teams to investigate the killing of Shrestha.
The cabinet meeting on Thursday formed a three-member high level committee headed by former judge Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and including Additional Inspector General of Police Amar Singh Shah and joint attorney general Saroj Prasad Gautam.
On the other hand, the meeting of Maoist central secretariat formed a three-member probe committee headed by Central Secretariat member Post Bahadur Bogati and including central committee member Hitraj Pandey and state committee member Ekraj Bhandari as members.
A statement issued after the central secretariat meeting, last week, stated that the party will take action against anyone found guilty as per the report of the committee. The meeting also decided that relief and compensation would be made available as per the understanding with the family of Shrestha.
The issue generated such public anger that there was a total shutdown of valley on May 21. The valley bandh was called by relatives of Ramhari Shrestha, and supported by Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).
According to Gyan Kumar Shrestha, brother of Ramhari and coordinator of struggle committee, they demand immediate formation of high level commission, action against guilty and public apology from Prachanda.
Ramhari Shrestha, a local resident of Koteshwore and a sympathiser of Maoists, had been killed after he was abducted and taken to PLA camp in Chitwan. He was abducted on charge of being involved in theft of Rs 1.7 million from Maoist workers who used to stay in rented apartment in his residence.
Rights activists have raised concern over the rise of impunity in the country as shown by the murder of Shrestha. Sushil Pyakurel, a prominent human rights activist, said there is an urgent need to end all kinds of impunity in the country, but said the government has largely been seen helpless in this front. He also blamed United Nation Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) of failing to properly monitor the Maoist cantonments and said that the UN body remaining unaware of the brutal murder of businessman Shrestha inside Chitwan’s Shaktikhor located PLA cantonment “has raised question on its credibility.”
sajaya dhakal is reporter of bbc nepali service