The families of those killed in the Soti incident in Rukum West district have filed a complaint with the Judicial Council, challenging the overturning of the charge of caste-based discrimination in the case.
On Thursday, the victims’ families visited the Judicial Council and lodged a complaint against Surkhet High Court Judges Somkanta Mainali and Matrika Prasad Bhandari.
Munlal Nepali, father of the deceased Navaraj BK; Bhimi Kumari Budhathoki Shahi, mother of Govinda Shahi; and Laxmi Sunar, mother of Lokendra Sunar, were among those who filed the complaint at the council.
Yam Bahadur Budhamagar, secretary of the Judicial Council, confirmed that the victims’ families visited the council on Thursday.
On April 29, Surkhet High Court judges Mainali and Bhandari upheld the life imprisonment sentence handed down by the Surkhet District Court to 23 accused in the Soti incident.
However, they overturned the district court’s ruling on caste-based discrimination and untouchability, which had imposed a two-year imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 rupees.
The victims’ families have been protesting against the high court’s verdict, arguing that six people including Navaraj BK were killed on May 23, 2020, because of caste-based discrimination but the high court had overturned the sentences for the same offense.
The full text of the high court’s verdict is yet to be released.
In the Soti incident, Navaraj BK, 17-year-old Ganesh Budhamagar of Bheri Municipality-4, 21-year-old Sanju BK, 18-year-old Lokendra Sunar of Bheri Municipality-11, Govinda Shahi, and 20-year-old Tikaram Nepali of Chaurjahari Municipality-1, Rukum West were killed after being attacked by locals of Soti village.
