Belbari probe team questions locals

A team formed by parliament to probe the Belbari killings reached the incident site Sunday and interrogated locals and security personnel. On April 26, army personnel shot dead six locals who were protesting in front of Belbari base camp against the alleged rape and murder of a local woman by soldiders.

Parliament subsequently formed a probe team headed by parliamentarian Pari Thapa. According to Chief District Officer Modnath Dotel, the16-member team consulted Sunday morning about the incident with representatives of the seven parties in the district and rights workers. The locals were protesting against the alleged rape and killing the previous night of Sapana Gurung, 22, a local, when the army personnel opened fire at them. Over two dozen were injured in the incident.

Advocate Chudamani Acharya said that action against the culprits should be initiated in public.