SURKHET, MAR 12 - The Nepal Army (NA) soldiers have been accused of raping and killing the three victims, including 12-year-old girl, at Banspani in the Bardia National Park in Bardia district.

The four people, who fled the incident site, said they were not poachers as claimed by the NA and the victims -- Devisara B.K., 35, Amrita B.K., 33, and Chandrakala B.K., 12--who belong to a same family, were in fact raped and killed by the soldiers. They claimed that they were at the forest to gather Kaulo (bark of a tree used for medicinal purpose).

"It was around 9 p.m. when the soldiers arrived firing shots. Five of us managed to escape but they captured the women," Durga Bahadur BK said. "For two hours or so, we hid in a distance hearing the women scream."

According to him, Krishna B.K., who was captured by the soldiers, had fled in the beginning, but he returned to the scene after hearing his daughter Chandrakala scream. Durga and Krishna are brothers.

Baldev Giri, who also managed to escape the incident, said that the soldiers chased the men away and raped the victims before killing them. He said that the NA claim of recovering weapons was baseless and an attempt to mask the crime.

"How can I use a gun with a hand like mine?" said Giri, showing his disabled hand. "You have two women and one child dead and the Army has some nerve claiming that they shot them dead in self-defense," Baldev vented.

The entire locals at Kapsera of Hariharpur VDC-2 are enraged by the Wednesday night incident. They have accused the soldiers of taking three innocent lives and hiding the crime by calling the victims poachers.    

"Even poachers used to be arrested and taken to the court. However, in Wednesday's case, the security personnel resorted to the killing of three females," said Tula Bharati, a local. 

 

Posted on: 2010-03-12 08:47

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