The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the government to take action against Madhav Bahadur Thapa, Senior Superintendent of the Armed Police Force (APF), for giving ordering the security forces to use excessive force on pro-democracy demonstrators in Gongabu, Kathmandu, on April 11.

The NHRC today wrote to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers recommending for stern action SSP Thapa of the Valley APF, who was the commanding officer during the Gongabu incident, ordered his men to shoot at the protesters without issuing warnings. A press release issued by the commission said that investigation into the incident established that use of excessive force on the demonstrators was in violation of the section 6(1) of Local Administration Act 2028 B.S.

The NHRC statement said the security officials under Thapa’s command provoked the agitators by falsely claiming that the firing from inside APF AIG Rup Sagar Moktan’s house at Gongabu was by the Maoists and that the security commanders failed to take under control the security person who opened fire at the demonstrations.

SSP Thapa failed to pay summon at the NHRC office but he appeared only after the commission sent a second letter to the APF headquarters to send him for inquiry, the statement said.

Citing Thapa’s confession that excessive force was used on the demonstrators and that he could not properly observe his duty, the commission recommended stern action against him as per the Armed Police Force Act-2048 B.S. The commission also asked the government to identify the security person who opened fire from inside AIG Moktan’s residence.

Several dozen people including one photojournalist and some medical volunteers were severely injured when security forces indiscriminately opened fire on the demonstrations, charged batons and fired teargas shells.