Kailali Auto-Rickshaw Incident: Investigation Committee Formed

KAILALI — A committee has been formed to investigate the incident where a three-wheeler auto-rickshaw (tempo) was pushed down a cliff during an drive to clear forest encroachment at Gaimare in Godawari Municipality-4 of Kailali.

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest, and Environment formed the investigation committee under the coordination of Dr. Hemraj Bista, Director of the Provincial Forest Directorate. According to Dirghanarayan Koirala, Secretary of the Ministry, the committee, formed through a ministerial-level decision, has been directed to investigate the facts of the incident and submit a report within seven days.

The committee members include Kiran Joshi, Assistant Chief District Officer of the District Administration Office Kailali; Janak Padhya, Senior Divisional Forest Officer of the Division Forest Office Pahalmanpur; Dhojraj Joshi, Mechanical Engineer of the Transport Management Office Kailali; and Bijay Raj Ojha, Law Officer of the Ministry of Forest and Environment.

The incident sparked nationwide protest after a video surfaced on June 12 showing forest officials pushing the auto-rickshaw down the cliff during the encroachment clearance drive. 

Secretary Koirala stated that the ministry has taken the incident seriously and that legal action will be taken against those found guilty after the investigation. Police have already taken 12 forest officials into custody for investigation into the incident.