Human rights groups have said Horilal Rana (Tharu), who was killed by security personnel in the western town of Dhangadhi on charge of trying to lay down explosives, was an innocent civilian.
The Far-Western division of the Royal Nepalese Army said that Rana was shot dead by security personnel while he was trying to lay down electric wires to cause explosion targeting the polling center at BP Primary School at Dhangadhi municipality ward no. 10 on Wednesday morning.
But, after conducting an on-the-spot investigation, local human rights groups said Thursday that they did not find any evidence of 24-year-old Rana involving in destructive activities.
They said Rana worked as a laborer at a local brick kiln and had got married only last year. They said he had no connection with the CPN (Maoists).
According to local people, Rana was relieving himself at a stream—some 60 meters away from the polling center—when the security personnel opened fire on him. His body was handed over to his father, Gangaram Rana, an illiterate person, Thursday evening and was made him to sign on a statement saying that his son was a “terrorist.”
Regional coordinator of the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), Khadga Raj Joshi, president of Nepal Bar Association Kailali district branch Surya Bhandari and central committee member of Human Rights Alliance, Ganesh BK, were among the rights activists who visited the site of incident.
Local journalists were also present during the inspection.
Rights groups have demanded that the government withdraw the tag of `terrorist’ against Rana and compensate his family.
Meanwhile, activists affiliated to the seven party opposition alliance carried out protests in Dhangadhi denouncing the killing of CPN-UML member, Umesh Thapa, in Dang and Hori Lal Rana in Dhangadhi.
Reports say Thapa was killed as he was returning after taking part in a protest at Ghorahi in Dang as security personnel opened fire indiscriminately at the group.
The authorities have, however, claimed that security personnel had opened fire after somebody from the group opened fire at them.