Seventeen of the 24 persons given life sentence for murder of six youths including Navaraj BK in Chaurjahari-8, Rukum have also been punished for caste-based discrimination and untouchability.
The bench of Judge Khadak Bahadur KC at the Rukum (West) District Court on Tuesday slapped life sentence on 24 including the then ward chairman of Chaurjahari-8 Dambar Bahadur Malla, father and brothers of Navaraj’s girlfriend and others.
Seventeen of those 24 have also been found guilty of caste-based discrimination and untouchability, and sentenced for two years and fined Rs 50,000 each, according to Information Officer at the District Court Govinda Prasad Koirala.
Navaraj’s girlfriend and mother were also found guilty of caste-based discrimination and untouchability, and jailed for two years and fined them Rs 50,000 each.
Six youths of Jajarkot were killed when Navaraj, 21, of Bheri municipality 4, Jajarkot went with 18 others to elope with his 17-year-old girlfriend of Chaurjahari-8, Soti on May 23, 2020. The bodies were later recovered from the Bheri river at the border of Jajarkot and Western Rukum.
The killing was caste-motivated with Navaraj being a Dalit and the girl Malla.
