The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nepal’s independent human rights body, has recommended legal action against four security officials and activist Durga Prasai for their roles in the March 2025 Threekune violence in Kathmandu. The incident, which occurred during a pro-monarchy demonstration, resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to 128 people.
The NHRC’s detailed investigation report, released on September 11, 2026, called for action against then-Chief District Officer (CDO) of Kathmandu Rishiram Tiwari, then-Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bishwa Adhikari, then-Superintendent of Police (SP) Apilraj Bohora, and then-Armed Police Force SP Shailesh Shrestha. SSP Adhikari is currently a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police. The commission also found Durga Prasai, commander of the ‘Nation, Nationality, Religion, Culture and Citizen Protection Grand Campaign,’ responsible for inciting the crowd and breaching security perimeters.
The NHRC concluded that Prasai made provocative statements like “Come, come, the parliament building must be burned,” turning the protest chaotic and violent. Two people died in the clashes: Sabin Maharjan, a demonstrator killed by police gunfire, and Suresh Rajak, a journalist for Avenues Television, who died when protesters set fire to a house. The commission recommended that the families of Maharjan and Rajak receive relief and compensation equivalent to other martyrs of movements. A total of 128 people were injured, including 55 Nepal Police personnel, 22 Armed Police Force personnel, and 51 protesters and civilians. Twenty-two of the injured are still receiving treatment. The NHRC also called for immediate free treatment, psychosocial counseling, and appropriate relief for civilians like Rebika Khatri and Dinesh Khatri, who were shot while returning home in Koteshwor, despite not being involved in the protest.
The commission determined that state authorities failed to prepare for maintaining peace and and security, did not adopt alternative strategies, were unsuccessful in crowd control, and failed to prevent human rights violations. It specifically recommended departmental action against field commanders SP Apilraj Bohora and Armed Police Force SP Shailesh Shrestha, along with other involved security personnel, for potentially malicious or negligent use of resources or weapons. The report noted the widespread use of expired tear gas shells due to a lack of adequate riot control equipment, which further incited the crowd. The NHRC instructed authorities to avoid using expired tear gas in the future and to employ less lethal mechanisms instead of deadly weapons. The commission also highlighted the initial administrative error of allowing demonstrations by groups with different political ideologies in sensitive areas like Threekune and Bhrikutimandap on the same date.
The violence led to extensive property damage, including the burning of Sancho Production and Processing Company in Jadibuti, destroying advanced machinery, four vehicles, a GNP building, and 1.5 to 2 million empty bottles. Eighteen buildings, including Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Koteshwor, Sunaulo Savings and Credit Cooperative, and the central office of the CPN (Unified Socialist), sustained damage. Thirty-nine vehicles (25 fully, 14 partially damaged) and six motorcycles/scooters were also damaged. The NHRC also found that former politician Navaraj Subedi, aged over 85, was illegally detained for 25 days without a warrant at his Guheshwori residence from March 28, 2025, to Baishakh 8, 2082 (BS). The commission ordered the government to provide him Rs 12,500 in compensation.
The NHRC has urged the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and relevant security agencies to take action on its recommendations. NHRC Chairman Tap Bahadur Magar has stated that the implementation rate of the commission’s recommendations is generally low, expressing concern that non-implementation could foster impunity. Prime Minister Balen Shah has stated that anyone involved in the Threekune incident will face strict action. Durga Prasai was released on bail of Rs 200,000 on October 6, 2026, after being arrested on September 28, 2026, on cybercrime charges based on a complaint by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Rachana Khatiwada. The NHRC has also recommended the government immediately enact laws to make the misuse of social media and artificial intelligence for spreading rumors and hate speech legally punishable.
It remains unclear what specific steps the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and relevant security agencies have taken regarding the NHRC’s recommendations. The current positions of Rishiram Tiwari, Apilraj Bohora, and Shailesh Shrestha are unknown. The current health status of the 22 injured individuals still receiving treatment and whether they have received free treatment, psychosocial counseling, and appropriate relief is also not yet known. The status of the investigation into whether security personnel used weapons maliciously or negligently in the shooting incident is unclear, as is the future of the cybercrime investigation or proceedings against Durga Prasai.
