Extrajudicial Killing
A team of patrolling soldiers arrested Khagendra Buddhathoki on the Tatopani Jalkuni Bridge, on January 6, 2002. According to villagers, they took him to a temporary army camp at Alkachaur and shot him dead the following day. When family members approached the Myagdi DPO, they refused to investigate. Once the battalion moved from the temporary camp, Khagendra’s family tried to dig the area where they thought the dead body was buried. The police stopped them from doing so. The corpse is yet to be exhumed.
Developments
Police told Advocacy Forum that they had corresponded with the Ministry of Defence regarding the deployment of Raju Nepali who was in charge of the brigade which had been stationed in Myagdi at the time. The Ministry has reportedly confirmed his deployment.
The family filed a writ petition on June 18, 2009. In its response, the DPO argued that it was not bound to investigate as the FIR had not been properly filed. It also argued that the civilian court had no jurisdiction over such killings from the conflict period.
On November 11, 2009 the Baglung Appellate Court issued an order of mandamus for police to promptly investigate the FIR. Even after the order of the court, no effective investigation has been undertaken.
