According to CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel, a complaint has been filed alleging damage of around Rs 240 million.
A complaint has been filed with the police demanding action against those involved in the vandalism, arson, and looting that took place at the central office of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority in Tangal on 24 Bhadra.
The CIAA filed a complaint at the district premises in Kathmandu on Tuesday. According to CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel, the complaint was filed stating that about Rs 240 million was damaged.
On 24 Bhadra, the CIAA office in Tangal was entered and the forensic science laboratory room and administration division were set on fire. Similarly, computers, laptops, mobile phones and other equipment were looted. Vehicles parked in the parking lot were also burned by the protesters.
'We have filed a complaint at the district police premises to assess the damage caused by the looting, arson and vandalism and take action against the culprits. In the case of the damaged provincial offices, the concerned offices are preparing to file a complaint with the police there,' said spokesperson Poudel.
After 19 youth-students were killed by police bullets in the previous day (Bhadau 23), protests and demonstrations had been going on since the morning of the next day (Bhadau 24). Despite the police's best efforts to prevent the protesters from entering the Authority, the increasingly violent crowd had entered the office and wreaked havoc. After the protesters started committing extensive arson and vandalism in the areas outside the Commission, the Authority's employees had already left. Security personnel were stationed inside in plain clothes. The security personnel kept the Authority safe by continuously reminding the crowd outside for about 3 hours, but they did not care about us either. After 4 pm, arson, looting and vandalism started taking place inside. Initially, vehicles outside were set on fire. Then, looting was done inside.
The group that entered the CIAA around 4 pm on Bhadra 24 initially focused on looting. According to the CCTV footage that was not damaged that day, it appears that laptops, computers and other equipment and devices were looted after entering. The group that entered the CIAA continued looting and vandalizing for about 3 hours. Fortunately, no damage was done to the investigation files in the CIAA that day. Although the rooms housing the administration division and forensic lab were destroyed by fire, the files related to the investigation were found safe.
After setting fire to the CIAA, the protesters took a vehicle (a vehicle transporting the agency's employees) that was still burning from there and took it to the outside of the Dillibazaar prison. The vehicle was taken to escape prisoners from the prison, but after the security personnel there failed to prevent the prisoners from escaping, the CIAA vehicle was found abandoned on the side of the road the next day, an employee said.
Thus, the CIAA, which had been protected from vandalism and arson since morning, was out of the hands of security personnel after 4 pm. According to CIAA spokesperson Poudel, 20 computers have been broken into. 10 printers, 6 laptops, and 10 computers have been looted. 10 electronic devices have been partially damaged and 13 have been completely damaged. 21 buildings, including the central office, have been partially damaged and one building has been completely damaged.
16 four-wheelers and 57 two-wheelers in the Tangal-based office premises have been completely damaged and 16 four-wheelers and one two-wheeler have been partially damaged.
