What is in the report prepared by the commission formed to investigate the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadau, which took about 165 days to prepare?

We have prepared a thousand-page report. We have tried to study many incidents. We have investigated the allegations that there is some geopolitical influence and international manipulation in the 23 Bhadau movement. We have gone towards finding out the facts from the beginning so that this investigation can form a basis for the investigation to be held tomorrow.

Did the commission study the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadau separately or as a whole?

We have studied the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadau separately and made recommendations separately. We have studied the responsibility of 23 Bhadau and the state. If there was a destructive incident on 24 Bhadau, how did it happen, was it planned or not, etc.

On 23 Bhadau, the youth took out a rally from Maitighar. It reached Baneshwor. Initially, there was stone pelting, water cannons were thrown and shots were fired. There were injuries and deaths. Then the next day, there was an incident. That is the gist of it, but the commission has thoroughly investigated all these issues by delving into all these issues.

Who has been recommended to be prosecuted as the main culprits of the 23 Bhadra incident?

The recommendation has been made according to the crime committed by whoever committed it in the 23 Bhadra incident. We have written in the report that the same law will be applied. Detailed information about what happened to whom will come after the report is made public.

We have made demands according to the crime.

Some of those involved in the 24 Bhadra incident may have been candidates in the House of Representatives elections, they may have won, or some may have been outsiders, some may be party members, some may be independent citizens, some may be party workers. How has the commission investigated this and what is its recommendation?

The commission initially focused on 23 Bhadra and conducted its investigation. We got a more comprehensive report on 24 Bhadra. That day, incidents occurred all over the country.

Was there a major crackdown and crime on 23 Bhadra as well?

Yes. It seems that there was a major crackdown on 23 Bhadra. It seems that the state did not prepare and exercise the restraint it should have. Not only some people involved in it, but most of them are criminals. There is no question about that.

During the investigation phase, we also went outside the valley, talked to the families of the injured and the families of those who lost their lives and the injured. We talked to the soldiers deployed for security on 23 Bhadra and also to the CDO. We talked to everyone in charge of the government and security personnel.

We also collected some technical facts and researched and analyzed them. Due to lack of time, we were not able to examine all of them. For now, we created a base and studied them.

We have left the rest open so that further investigation can be conducted in the future. We have said that the state should investigate in this regard and take action against those involved as soon as possible.

While studying the incident, did you think or not that the state could reach this level of situation?

Yes. While studying, we saw it up close, we understood it. We saw the capacity of the state apparatus, we also saw its status. Here, it was seen that they were going towards where they had an advantage rather than towards the ‘core’ work, ‘service delivery’ (service flow).

After becoming an employee with that mindset, we realized that professionalism was gradually disappearing. This needs to be corrected in time. Therefore, we have not only talked about the police, but also about the judiciary, we have talked about elections. We have talked about social media.

We have also written in the recommendation why the security agencies should be strengthened. We have also said what should be done to strengthen the intelligence agencies.

The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had said that he did not receive any information from the security agencies and the investigation agencies. Did we find anything like this during the study?

The National Investigation Department is so inactive that there is no estimate of it. Security policies are made on the basis of information from the investigating agencies, which is weak.

The intelligence agencies also have very little information about general ‘open information’ sources. Some individuals took the initiative to search for something else, but institutional efforts were not found.

It is possible that the response was that there was no source. But it was not seen that they took the initiative and worked ‘proactively’.

Is there any report that did not receive support from the security agencies?

It is a fact that the police did not cooperate during the investigation. The Nepali Army did not cooperate until later. Only later were we able to gather some evidence with our help. The police said that it was burned and destroyed, there is no record.

Since the police could not send much information, it was not possible to find out whose weapon the bullet was fired from. This is why we have recommended a study by forming a new structure. The Armed Police Force said they would provide information, but did not.

It may also be because it is evidence against themselves. For example, we have written in the report that after the 23 Bhadra incident, the weapons should have been sealed and the boxes should have been searched. It is not that there was complete non-cooperation from the security agencies, but we prepared the report in this situation with their cooperation.