Panel advises against dropping most charges from September protest arrests

A special committee chaired by former High Court judge Baburam Regmi examined 445 criminal cases stemming from the September 9 protests, which involved 1,778 alleged participants. The study determined that existing statutes bar the government from withdrawing charges against individuals charged with serious offenses such as murder, attempted murder, arson and looting of public or private property. Consequently, the panel advised that only roughly 300 cases could be considered for withdrawal, while the remaining defendants are classified as ineligible.

The findings were delivered to Home Minister Sudan Gurung on October 1, and a government spokesperson confirmed that the Cabinet will forward the report to the Ministry of Home Affairs for action. The committee also highlighted that cases involving damage to critical infrastructure, including the Parliament building, the Supreme Court and the Singha Durbar complex, cannot be dismissed without victim compensation, which the state cannot afford. A member of the panel stressed that peaceful demonstrators should have charges dropped, but serious crimes must remain prosecutable unless the law is amended.