The government has announced to provide Rs 1 million as compensation to the families of six Dalit youths who were killed in an incident of caste-based violence in Chaurjahari Municipality-8, Soti of Rukum (West).

Along with the death of six Dalit youths, several others were left severely injured in the incident.

Monday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers took the decision to provide Rs 1 million each as compensation to family of the deceased.

Minister for Information and Communication Technology Dr Yubraj Khatiwada, who is also the government’s spokesperson, informed that the government would also bear all medical expenses of persons injured in the incident.

Nabaraj BK, Ganesh Budha Magar and Sanjib BK from Bheri Municipality-4 in Jajarkot district, Lokendra Sunar and Govinda Shahi of Bheri-11 and Tikaram Nepali from Chaurjahari-1, Rukum were killed in May earlier this year.

Those injured are Lal Bahadur Khadka, Madan Shah, Saroj Bhadel, Ashish BK, Sudip Khadka, Bibhag Pun, Mahesh Karki, Indrajung Shahi, Bhola BC, Gobinda Sunar, Sunil Sunar, and Dilli BK.

The investigation by a parliamentary committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 8 to probe the incident has concluded that the death of six Dalit youths was a result of caste-based discrimination.

The committee’s investigation report submitted to Speaker Agni Sapkota also states that the killing was a crime against humanity.

The report states that the youths were attacked with stones, domestic weapons and were baton-charged.

According to the investigation report, the mass murder was premeditated and conspired by the girl’s family as they were not happy with their daughter being in a relationship with a so called “lower caste” boy.

As per the report, the local police had taken the injured under control instead of the attackers and has suggested that the police’s entire investigation process was flawed.

As many as 29 people accused of carrying out the murder were arrested only the next day after widespread criticism. The district court has released five after recording their statements while two, including Nabaraj’s girlfriend, have been sent to juvenile correction centre.

The probe report also states that police failed to accurately report the crime scene and the places where the victims’ bodies were found.

The investigation team also found that the police hadn’t taken statements from those who recovered bodies from the river.

The probe committee has also called for further study citing lapses on the part of local administration.

“The fact that the autopsy was carried out by Dr Bhupendra Malla, son of Bhakta Bahadur, the lawyer of the accused, also gives ample room to doubt the authenticity of the post-mortem report,” says the report.