Various video clips of the demonstration by royalists that took place in Tinkune, Kathmandu on Friday, along with the accompanying violent incidents are being made public. Among these video clips, one that has surfaced now appears to be extremely sensitive. In it, the demonstrators can be seen walking normally. During this, the sound of gunfire is heard, and one demonstrator falls in the middle of the street.
We don’t know how authentic this video is. We also cannot say whether it has been manipulated or fabricated. When Setopati inquired with the police about this, they stated that they are investigating the authenticity of the video clip. However, if this video is genuine, it captures a barbaric scene.
There is no justification for deliberately shooting a demonstrator from behind while they are walking normally and maintaining a significant distance from the police. If the police did this, it would constitute a brutal attack on citizens by the police.
A short while after the sound of gunfire, the young man is seen collapsing on the street. Was the bullet fired by the police a rubber bullet or a lethal one from a gun? Some people have claimed that the young man who fell on the street is Sabin Maharjan from Kirtipur who was killed by police gunfire. Doctors at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, where Maharjan was declared dead, also stated that he had been shot in the chest. However, in the video, it appears that the young man was shot from behind.
Did the bullet that hit Maharjan from behind pass through his body and exit through his chest? Or is this a different young man? All these questions remain unanswered for now.
The police have reported that three young men were shot during the demonstration. Of them, Sabin Maharjan has already died, while the other two are receiving treatment at the Bir Hospital. The police claim that none of the three who were shot were hit from behind. According to the police, one of the injured being treated at Bir Hospital was shot in the stomach. Is this injured person the same young man who fell on the street in Tinkune?
The Home Ministry and the government should immediately investigate the incident shown in this video clip and bring the truth to light. If it turns out that the police deliberately shot a demonstrator from behind while they were walking normally, it would be an act of police brutality. The person responsible for such an act should be identified and face immediate action. Otherwise, irresponsibility within the police force will be encouraged.
The state must promptly discourage any excessive use of force or such barbaric attacks by the police during political demonstrations. If any leniency is shown in protecting the guilty, it will be seen as the state failing in its responsibility to ensure the safety of its citizens’ lives and bodies.
