Inquiry Commission Report Details Phone Contacts of Former IGP Khapung During 'Janjati' Protest

The inquiry commission mentioned the contact details of then-IGP Chandra Kuber Khapung and senior security officials during the 'Janjati' protest on Bhadra 23 and 24 in its report, Kathmandu.

According to the report 'leaked' to the media on Wednesday, Khapung was found to have had the most phone contact with DIG Adhikari. DIG Adhikari was the chief of the Kathmandu District Police Range during the 'Janjati' protest. The commission included in its report the analysis of the call details record showing 42 contacts between them over two days.

Contact was made 28 times with then-AIG Siddhibikram Shah of the Operations Department. The AIG of the Operations Department leads the daily incident and riot control. The commission's report mentioned that contact was made 4 times with then-AIG Dan Bahadur Karki, who took command of the Valley Police Office on Bhadra 24, 3 times with then-Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal, and 3 times on Bhadra 24 with Janak Bhatta, the private secretary to then-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.

The commission noted that then-Speaker Devraj Ghimire was contacted once on Bhadra 24, and DIG Om Rana of the Valley Police Office, Rani Pokhari, was contacted 11 times over two days, with both parties calling each other's mobile numbers.

Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was contacted 8 times over two days, and Armed Police Force IGP Raju Aryal was contacted twice. It was found that Khapung contacted Rajesh Bajracharya, the private assistant to then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, once, and then-Home Secretary Gokramanmani Dwadi nine times. Contact was seen twice with Chief of Army Staff Ashok Sigdel on Bhadra 2.