The commission, which had a 3-month deadline, was extended by one month on December 3 after it failed to complete its work on time. The last time the deadline was extended by 20 days.
What you should know
The inquiry commission formed to investigate the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra has accelerated the writing of the report. The commission's deadline was last extended by 20 days on 8 Magh. The commission has accelerated the writing of the report with one week left before the deadline.
The spokesperson of the Commission of Inquiry, Vigyanraj Sharma, said that the commission is busy writing the report after completing its statement. “The commission has one week left after the last extension,” he said. “We will complete the work and submit the report within this time.” He said that there has been no discussion so far about extending the commission’s term and that it is not in favor of extending it.
The government had formed the commission of inquiry under the leadership of former Special Court judge Gauri Bahadur Karki on 5 Asoj. The commission, which had a three-month term, was extended by one month on 3 Poush after it failed to complete its work on the scheduled date. The last time the term was extended by 20 days. The members of the commission include former AIG Vigyanraj Sharma and lawyer Bishweshwor Prasad Bhandari.
During the investigation, the commission recorded the statements of then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Dawadi, and Kathmandu Chief District Officer Chhabi Rijal. Similarly, statements were taken from former Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balendra Shah.
Statements were taken from former Inspector General of Police Chandrakuber Khapung, current Police Chief Dan Bahadur Karki, Armed Forces Police Chief Raju Aryal, Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, and then Chief of the National Investigation Department Hutraj Thapa on the security side.
Initially, the government had given the inquiry commission five mandates. It was asked to investigate the physical and human damage caused during the protests, study and analyze the causes of the incidents and submit a report with suggestions, collect information or petitions related to the damage and provide opinions for necessary action, suggest measures to prevent such incidents from recurring, and prepare a clear action plan for implementing the suggestions in the report. However, the mandate was extended after a 10-point agreement was reached between the Gen-G representatives and the government on 24 Mangsir.
Similarly, the National Human Rights Commission is also preparing a report after completing the investigation and statements. Both the commissions had conducted separate investigations. The Human Rights Commission had formed a committee under the coordination of commission member Lily Thapa on 23 Bhadra. Thapa said that the report will be submitted to the commission in the next week. After that, she informed that the commission will take a decision on whether to make the report public or not. She said that the commission can also give instructions to make amendments if it deems necessary.
Even though both the commissions have reached the final stage of writing the report, there is doubt that the report will be made public. Former Supreme Court Justice Balram KC says that there is doubt that the report of such commissions formed in the past will be made public because it was hidden. ‘This time, since a civilian government has been formed, that may not happen, but the doubt remains,’ he said.
