Inquiry Commission Report Details State Violence Against Injured Protesters in 'Genji Movement'

Kathmandu. The statements of those injured during the state repression following the 'Genji Movement' held on Bhadra 23 and 24, demanding control of corruption and good governance, have been included in the report of the investigation commission.

The report prepared by the investigation commission led by Gauri Bahadur Karki, which investigated the incident, includes the statements of 28 protesters injured during the movement. It claims that security personnel fired bullets 'selectively' at unarmed civilians without warning.

The statements of the injured indicate that the police suddenly used tear gas, rubber bullets, and live metal bullets (live rounds) during the movement, which had started peacefully. Most of the injured stated they were shot above the knee, in the chest, abdomen, head, and eyes.

Ekta Shah, 17, who had just passed the MBBS entrance exam, stated that she was seriously injured after being hit by a rubber bullet in her right knee while watching the demonstration in Baneshwor.
Similarly, Kumar Upadhyaya stated that a bullet fired by the police while he was standing on the roof of his house passed through his arm and reached his lung and back. Another injured person, Ram Charmakar, stated that security personnel fired a bullet directly into his eye without warning from a distance of 15/20 meters in Kaloanki.

Gita Kumari Shah's statement is slightly different. On Bhadra 24, an extremist group disguised as protesters in Koteshwor attempted to kill a police constable, and Gita tried to save that police officer. However, the attackers sprayed a liquid resembling petrol on Gita's body and set her on fire. The statement mentions that 40 percent of her body was burned, and she is still unable to get up or sit down.
Ayush B.K., Lokraj Upadhyaya, Surendrajung Thapa, Smriti Rai, and 24 others collectively stated: 'On the 23rd, our movement was spontaneous and peaceful. But on the 24th, infiltrators entered from outside, caused vandalism, and the state used that as an excuse to rain bullets on innocent youths.'

The report mentions that a total of 2,522 people were injured during the two-day protest. In the clashes, 1,328 protesters and 2,068 security personnel were injured. Among these, the highest number of injuries occurred in the Kathmandu Valley alone. The report points out that such massive human casualties occurred because security personnel indiscriminately used gunshots and rubber bullets in the name of crowd control.