2024-05-12 10:46:04

Justice served against caste-based killing case in the Rukum West of Nepal: 24 culprits sentenced for life

Rukum incident

Nepaldalitinfo International Network-

In a landmark verdict given by the District Court of Rukum West, twenty-four culprits have been sentenced to life imprisonment in the caste-based murder of six people, including Nabaraj BK, in the Soti village of Chaurjahari Municipality-8 in Rukum West in 2020.  The culprits sentenced for life include Dumbar Bahadur Mall, Dilli Thakuri Mall, Prem Bahadur Thakuri, Santosh Mall, Mohan Pun Magar, Man Bahadur Mall, Top Bahadur Mall, Savit Mall alias Sarvajit, Ird Bahadur Thakuri, Lipendra Kumar Malla, Harak Bahadur Malla, Binod Malla, Netra Bahadur Malla, Resham Bahadur Malla, Dhanaraj Malla, Navin Kumar Gharti Magar, Biraj Pun Magar, Bhim Bahadur Pun, Ramit Pun, and Bishnu Malla who had committed caste-based discrimination crime against humanity of grave nature, killing of six people and injuring 12 others. The sentencing was passed by a single bench of Judge Khadga Bahadur KC of the district court on December 5, 2023. The bench added two more years to the life sentences of all 24 convicts and a fine of Rs50,000 each. The fines accumulated from the convicts will be provided to the victims’ families, according to police (https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/12/05/24-get-life-sentence-for-rukum-west-massacre).   

Nabaraj’s father, Munlal Nepali, had lodged the first information complaint that led to legal action against 34 individuals, including Dambar Bahadur Malla, the then-ward president of Chaurjahari-8.

Several national-level senior advocates including Dinesh Tripathi have advocated against the culprits in the case, and the District Judge’s fair judgment without prejudice has been lauded nationally and internationally.

Dalit communities in Nepal and abroad are expressing a sense of satisfaction for the justice served in this case without prejudice that was feared due to general lack of their proper representation across the reinforcement bodies and judicial system.

On May 23, 2020, 21-year-old Dalit boy, Navaraj BK from Bheri Municipality-4 Rana village of Jajarkot, arrived in Soti village of Rukum West along with his friends, for getting his non-Dalit girlfriend, but only to be chased away and killed in "lynching style" caste-discrimination atrocities.

For more details, visit the online links below to some of the national and international media coverage of the news of the verdict:

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