RNA panel submits report on Nagarkot incident

Kathmandu, Dec 25 -The Royal Nepalese Army’s probe committee has submitted its investigation report on the Nagarkot carnage to the Chief of the RNA Legal Department, Brigadier General BA Kumar Sharma.

“The committee submitted the report to the duty staff at Legal Department yesterday though it was a weekly off,” a senior RNA officer at the Legal Department told The Himalayan Times. December 24 was the deadline for the committee to submit the report.

The Department’s Chief Brig Gen Sharma is studying the report, the RNA officer said. If Brig Gen Sharma finds anything lacking in the report, he will ask the committee to furnish such information before he forwards the report to the higher authority at the RNA headquarters.

When asked about the information in the report, the officer couldn’t elaborate. When officials at the Directorate of Public Relation of RNA were contacted, they could say nothing about the report. However, the Legal Department’s Chief Brig Gen Sharma confirmed that he has already received the report. “Yes, I am studying the report and the details will be in people’s hand within a few days,” said Brig Gen Sharma.The five-member RNA probe panel, headed by Brigadier General Netra Bahadur Thapa had been formed immediately after the incident. Earlier, the team had been given three days to submit the report, but later the deadline was extended.

Main while, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) on Sunday said it was concerned over various ‘unsubstantiated’ media reports.

Issuing a statement, the RNA’s Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) said, “A high-level investigation committee is investigating into the unfortunate event to bring out the facts behind the incident. Against this background, the Directorate of Public Relations regrets the publishing of uncorroborated news reports, which could influence and hinder the work of the investigation committee.”

The RNA also appealed to the media to exercise restraint and not to publish ‘unsubstantiated’ information, which could directly or indirectly influence the committee’s investigation.

A separate team of the RNA is also probing the incident that has drawn nationwide protests However, A three-member judicial committee under former Supreme Court Justice Top Bahadur Singh is investigating into the killings. The committee’s deadline for submitting its report to the government was extended by 10 days on Friday after the initial timeframe came to an end.