Fire injured
The family of Ganesh Nepali, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar, has refused to claim his body, demanding that a state agency take responsibility for the incident.
The family says the incident was triggered after Kathmandu Metropolitan City police officials placed a wheel lock on his motorcycle. They have refused to collect the body until the government reaches a clear agreement with them.
“Discussions are underway on various issues, but no conclusion has been reached yet,” Ganesh’s nephew Mann Nepali told Kantipur on Saturday evening after talks with government officials at the Kathmandu District Administration Office. “The family’s position is that the body will not be taken until there is a clear commitment from the government.”
The talks are being led by Kathmandu Chief District Officer Ishwar Raj Paudel, with Ganesh’s parents and other family members also participating.
Ganesh died on Friday while undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital, where he had been admitted on Thursday. On Saturday, supporters and relatives staged a protest outside the hospital demanding justice for him.
After the family refused to receive the body, Bir Hospital transferred it to the mortuary at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, citing a lack of facilities to preserve bodies for an extended period.
“Bir Hospital does not have the required infrastructure to keep the body for a long time,” said Dr Prakash Budhathoki of the hospital.
The legal process, including preparation of the death report and post-mortem examination, cannot move forward until the family accepts the body. The Prime Minister’s Office has also shown interest in reaching an agreement with the family.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dilip Ghimire, chief of Kathmandu police, said authorities were in talks with the family. “An agreement will be reached soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has announced support for Ganesh’s family, including financial assistance, employment opportunities for family members and free education for his children. The decisions will be formally approved by the municipal executive meeting, according to a statement issued by Nabin Manandhar, spokesperson for KMC.
The metropolitan city also said it would coordinate with the government to identify measures to prevent such incidents in the future and develop practices for implementation.
A five-member committee led by Deputy Inspector General Govinda Thapaliya of the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari, is investigating Ganesh’s death.
According to a committee member, Ganesh had reached the passport office at around 11am on Thursday to drop off a passenger. After leaving the passenger at Gate No. 2, he waited nearby for another ride request when a female municipal police officer asked him not to park his motorcycle there.
An argument followed, and the motorcycle was later fitted with a wheel lock, according to the police’s preliminary findings.
Video footage obtained by Kantipur shows the female municipal police officer questioning Ganesh for refusing to comply with instructions. The footage also captures an argument over her mobile phone, which had fallen and broken during the exchange.
