Kathmandu, October 24
The government has continued cleaning and reconstruction work on structures damaged by arson and vandalism during the Gen Z Movement on September 9. However, experts warn that carrying out such activities without proper documentation and evidence collection could make it difficult to uncover the truth and allow perpetrators to escape responsibility.
During the movement, important government structures such as the Parliament building, Supreme Court, and Singha Durbar were destroyed by fire. It is suspected that various chemicals were used to start the fires.
The nature of the massive blaze and conversations among Gen-Z protestors on Discord have further strengthened suspicions that chemicals were used in the arson.
Experts argue that the government should have prioritized evidence collection and investigation to uncover the truth about these incidents, but instead, it focused on cleaning up the sites.
Police have prepared reports for some of the incident sites, but meanwhile, rapid cleaning, painting, and renovation work has already begun. Burnt vehicles have been removed and relocated elsewhere.
Former AIGP of Nepal Police, Uttam Raj Subedi, says such activities could destroy vital evidence.
“To uncover the truth, damaged and burnt areas must be properly documented. I believe the police have either completed or are in the process of doing that. If not, it must be done as soon as possible,” he said.
He added, “Since there have been reports of chemical use in the arson, it is necessary to document the crime scenes and examine the evidence found there to determine how and why the fires were started.”
Subedi warned that if the evidence is destroyed, it will be difficult to uncover the truth. He believes the investigation should be conducted both by the inquiry commission and the police.
Talking to Onlinekhabar, one police officer informed that instead of collecting evidence, the government seems to be focusing only on cleaning up and gathering damage reports from victims.
He added, “Even the Narayanhiti Royal Palace massacre site was demolished and washed away, destroying key evidence. Because of that, the massacre remains mysterious to this day. The same should not happen with the Gen-Z movement incidents.”
The officer further warned that if the evidence is not collected even after a month, there is a high risk that the truth will never be uncovered.
During the Gen-Z movement on September 8 and 9, large-scale destruction of public and private property occurred. To investigate the incident, the government has formed a high-level inquiry commission led by former chairperson of the Special Court, Gauri Bahadur Karki. The commission has already begun its work, collecting details of damages from victims.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Police have also intensified their investigation and taken several actions. Some individuals accused of involvement in the Gen-Z protests have been arrested. Those charged with murder, looting, and other criminal offenses have either been sent to prison, released on bail, or freed on regular court dates. Police officials say investigations are still ongoing against others who remain in custody.
