The high-level judicial commission formed to investigate into the atrocities committed by the erstwhile royal regime during the people’s movement-II interrogated former minister Tanka Dhakal and dismissed chief of the National Investigation Department (NID), Devi Ram Sharma, on Friday.
Dismissed chief of the National Investigation Department (NID), Devi Ram Sharma, talking to journalists after filing statement to the high-level probe commission headed by former Justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, Friday, July 07 06. nepalnews.com/ANA
Commission members interrogated Dhakal and Sharma for nearly two hours each at the commission’s office in Hahihar Bhawan in connection with their alleged role in clampdown on the people’s movement.
Emerging out of the interrogation, Dhakal said he felt sad about the deaths during the 19-day long agitation and said he was ready, as a member of the then cabinet, to take moral responsibility for the acts of during that time.
Initially, was communication minister and government spokesperson in the royal cabinet but was later given local development portfolio after a reshuffle.
Saying that the King had not given any order to suppress the movement, Dhakal argued that the previous governments also should take responsibility for the deaths of thousands of people killed during their term.
Similarly, suspended NID chief Sharma claimed that he had no role in atrocities against the pro-democracy agitators. “I have no moral responsibility for the suppression. If you talk about moral responsibility, all of us including the journalists should take some responsibility,” he said, adding, “We have been given dismissal letters without even being given a chance to clarify our point.”
Sharma was dismissed by the new government along with the IGPs and other senior officials of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force.
The probe commission headed by former Justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi has already interrogated several functionaries of royal regime including then cabinet vice-chairman-duo, Dr. Tulsi Giri and Kriti Nidhi Bista.