Kathmandu, Jan 1: Inspector General of Police Basant Kunwar said that the Balkumari incident could be averted if Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Minister Prakash Jwala had not gone to Balkumari area.
He made this statement at the State Affairs Committee meeting of the House of Representatives.
“The situation got worse after the minister’s car arrived. If that vehicle had not come there, this incident would not have taken place. The incident occurred when the police were effortful in ensuring full security to the minister. By the time the police arrived, the car used by the minister was on fire,” he said.
At around 11:30 am on that fateful day, the crowd of the protesters was dispersed by using a normal force, he said. At 11:52 am, the minister came out of the Kantipur Party Palace and stopped near Balkumari’s overhead bridge. “The minister’s private secretary did not coordinate about whether the route is clear or not. The vehicle stopped in the middle of the crowd,” he said.
He was not sure when the fire was opened. “It is not clear when the fire was opened. Sujan Raut was injured in the chest at 12:40 pm, and was declared dead at Kist Hospital at 1 pm. Birendra Shah was injured at 12:42 pm and was declared dead at 13:37 pm,” he said.
Two men were killed in the Balkumari incident in Lalitpur on Friday when the police intervened during the protest over the EPS language test row. Birendra Shah of Achham and Sujan Raut of Dailekh were killed in the incident.
