Self-Immolation Attempt Not Linked to Traffic Police Fine, Authorities Clarify

Kathmandu. The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office has stated that the self-immolation attempt by 25-year-old Ganesh Nepali in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu, is not related to traffic police action. Ganesh attempted self-immolation in front of Gate No. 3 of the Department of Passports on Thursday afternoon. He was seriously injured and preparations are being made to take him to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, India, for further treatment.

Following the incident, social media claims that Ganesh attempted self-immolation because the traffic police fined him led to the traffic police refuting these claims. SP Naresh Subedi, Information Officer at the Valley Traffic Police Office, issued a statement clarifying that based on the situation at the scene and preliminary investigation, the traffic police did not impose any fine on Ganesh, and the traffic action has no connection to the incident. He urged everyone not to broadcast or promote unconfirmed, factual, and misleading information on social media as the legal investigation into the incident is ongoing.

According to preliminary investigation, prior to the self-immolation attempt, Ganesh had a dispute with a female city police officer working at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police Force regarding a 'wheel lock'. Ganesh protested after the Metropolitan Police placed a wheel lock on his Pulsar motorcycle with number Ba.Pra.02-064 Pa 3250. He was providing services through a ride-sharing app.

According to a police officer involved in the investigation at the District Police Range, Kathmandu, Ganesh questioned why the wheel lock was applied even though the motorcycle was parked in a raised area off the road. Preliminary investigation by the police indicates that after a heated argument with the city police, he poured petrol from his own motorcycle on himself and attempted self-immolation.