Writ petition against Nepal PM Prachanda for admitting to 5,000 killings during Maoist insurgency

The petition brought by advocate Gyanendra Aran and other victims of Maoist insurgency was registered on March 7, say Supreme Court sources

A writ petition was on March 7 registered against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” at the Supreme Court of Nepal, seeking an order to investigate and arrest him for admitting to being responsible for the killing of 5,000 people during the decade-long Maoist insurgency.

The petition brought by advocate Gyanendra Aran and other victims of Maoist insurgency was registered on March 7, Supreme Court sources said, adding that another writ by Kalyan Budhathoki was in the registration process.

Advocates Gyanendra Aaran and Kalyan Budhathoki, who are also conflict victims, filed separate writ petitions at the Supreme Court demanding that Mr. Prachanda be investigated and prosecuted for admitting to being responsible for the killing of at least 5,000 people during the decade-long Maoist insurgency.

A Bench of justices Ishwar Khatiwada and Hari Krishna Phuyal on Friday ordered the court administration to register the writ petitions brought by the two.

“I am accused of killing 17,000 people, which is not true. However, I am ready to take the responsibility of killing 5,000 people during the conflict,” Mr. Prachanda said while addressing a Maghi festival celebration event in Kathmandu. He added that the rest of the 12,000 were killed by the feudal regime.

The rebellion that started on February 13, 1996, officially came to an end after a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was reached with the then government on November 21, 2006.

It is estimated that around 17,000 people lost their lives during the decade-long insurgency. Mr. Prachanda waged the armed conflict for a decade in the name of ‘People’s War’.