March 30, Kathmandu – The Karki Commission, led by Gaur Bahadur Karki and assigned to investigate the events of September 9 and 10 during the JeNeRGY movement, has submitted an incomplete report.
While the commission completed its investigation of the September 9 incidents by identifying the culprits and recommending specific actions against them, it failed to provide a substantive conclusion regarding the massive destruction that occurred on September 10.
Citing limitations in capacity and time, the Karki Commission distanced itself from conducting a comprehensive probe into the events of the 10th, sparking widespread public criticism of the report.
Following allegations that the government sought to evade accountability for the extensive damage on September 10, a high-level investigation committee was included in the 100-point agenda released by the government last Saturday to specifically examine these events.
The government has committed to establishing this committee within a week, mandating it to collect and analyze all relevant information, identify responsible parties, and submit a report within a fixed timeframe. Further actions will be taken based on the committee’s recommendations.
Despite the government’s efforts to prioritize a separate inquiry into the September 10 events after the Karki Commission report raised questions, the nature and effectiveness of this new committee remain uncertain.
Considering the Karki Commission’s incomplete work, experts express concerns about what kind of investigative committee will handle such a significant incident. There are fears that if the new committee remains loyal to the executive branch, victims of September 10 may once again be denied justice.
“The impartiality of such an investigative committee is crucial,” said senior advocate Hari Upreti. “If it is constituted as a judicial commission, it could gain much greater credibility.”
Currently, there is suspicion that a weaker investigative committee than the previous commission might be formed.
“This massive incident demands a judicial inquiry. If the committee reports directly to the executive, it raises concerns,” said senior advocate Dinesh Tripathi.
He noted that the National Human Rights Commission has already prepared a separate report on the incident, which has not yet been made public. Should that report comprehensively and factually investigate the September 10 events, it could be considered for implementation.
“If a weaker commission or committee is established compared to the current one, it will dilute the issue,” Tripathi added.
The Karki-led commission was formed under the Investigation Act. It cited challenges such as lack of resources, insufficient time, and difficulty obtaining information from some government agencies. Experts say if a powerful commission struggled with these issues, forming a less capable investigative committee would be largely symbolic.
Rajup Prasad Chapagain, chairman of the Accountability Monitoring Group and senior advocate, stated, “If an investigation is to be conducted, it must be free from partisan influence and include independent experts.”
What Did the Karki Commission Report Say About the September 10 Incident?
The commission learned through local inspections and stakeholder interviews that various individuals were involved in the nationwide events of September 10.
The protest on September 9 in Kathmandu was initially peaceful, demanding action against corruption and for good governance. However, by the time it reached Baneshwar Chowk, the crowd had grown large and turned violent. Police gunfire caused casualties and injuries.
The September 10 protest began as a government opposition movement in support of youths killed the day before but soon included people with criminal intentions.
On that day, crimes included looting, vandalism, arson, seizing police weapons, attacking law enforcement, and assaults on political party members, driven by criminal profiles.
CCTV footage and interrogations revealed involvement by employees from various sectors, garage workers, drivers and assistants, construction workers, workshop laborers, and squatters.
Some individuals had escaped from prison or police custody and participated. There were also cases of arson driven by political revenge or personal grudges.
Some radical JeNeRGY youth participated in protests but were not involved in vandalism or looting, though they became part of the crowd where criminal acts occurred.
There were even scenes where some youths urged others to avoid destruction and fire.
Explosive materials were used at critical locations such as Singha Durbar, the Federal Parliament Building, Supreme Court, and the President’s House.
Certain fires targeted places containing special documents, and most attack methods appeared similar across sites.
Actions included disabling government office CCTV cameras, draining water tanks before destruction, attacks on data centers, document burning, looting, and detonating gas cylinders.
Within Singha Durbar, chemicals from fire extinguishers were intentionally spread after being released. The method of setting fire to vehicles in parking areas was consistent nationwide.
However, chemical substances, petrol bombs (Molotov cocktails), and other explosives were used at locations including Singha Durbar, Supreme Court, President’s House, commercial warehouses, and various hotels.
Some residential homes and Bhaktabatti stores suffered looting and arson, resulting in some looters being burned to death.
Although CCTV footage from government offices might be useful for the investigation, many attacked offices had their records damaged or destroyed. A thorough investigation of all September 10 events remains necessary.
So far, the commission has not gathered sufficient evidence to arrest suspects involved in these incidents.
No intelligence reports were provided by any government or non-governmental agencies to assist the commission. Due to limited time, the commission could not conduct an extensive investigation nationwide.
Nevertheless, the commission examined raw BTS data from telephone towers at various key government and private locations during the events of September 10. Telephone numbers of individuals present were requested from Nepal Telecom and NCell and analyzed, as detailed in the report.
