Local resident Narendra Dhami complained to the INSEC monitoring team that the demolition of the houses and temporary shelters of 47 families, who had been residing in the area for the past 40 years, by the Forest Office and local administration using bulldozers due to political prejudice had left them in a dire situation during the rainy season.
He stated, “The demolition of homes where we have been living for 40 years has displaced 47 families. Our houses were demolished during the monsoon season without any alternative arrangements due to political prejudice. We have been treated unjustly. Those who have encroached upon forest land should be properly investigated and removed. However, the houses of all local residents were demolished without prior notice. We deserve justice. We have been rendered homeless in an irresponsible manner without any notice or investigation. Those involved in the incident should be held accountable, and the victims should be provided with appropriate compensation and rehabilitation.”
Local resident Sher Bahadur Ghartimagar informed the monitoring team that elderly persons, postpartum women, pregnant women, sick individuals, and children had been placed at greater risk because the Forest Office demolished the houses without issuing any prior notice. He stated that those responsible for the incident should be held accountable and that appropriate arrangements should be made for the affected families.
Tempo owner Dhami informed that, after employees of the Forest Office threw his tempo off a cliff on 12 June 2026, he submitted an application to the Area Police Office, Malakheti, on 15 June 2026, demanding compensation, as the vehicle was his family’s sole means of livelihood.
Forest Officer Ram Bichari Thakur of the Division Forest Office, Kailali, stated that although notices had been issued directing those residing on encroached forest land to vacate the area pursuant to instructions from the District Administration Office, Kailali, the encroachers failed to comply. Consequently, on 12 June 2026, while carrying out an operation to clear the encroached area under the direction of the District Administration Office, a tempo that had been parked by the roadside fell down a cliff while officials were attempting to move it.
Forest Officer Thakur further informed the INSEC monitoring team that the same tempo had also been removed approximately one month earlier. He stated that the vehicle was not an operational transport vehicle but had already become scrap. According to him, the tempo had been stationed along the roadside at Gaimare Danda on the Bhimdatta Highway, where it was being used as a makeshift shop selling tea, eggs, noodles, drinking water, and other goods, and was therefore removed from the encroached area during the clearance operation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Yogendra Timilsina of the District Police Office, Kailali, stated that further investigation into the incident is ongoing after the aggrieved party filed a named complaint on 15 June 2026 (1 Asar) against Senior Forest Officer Krishna Bahadur Bohara and Jamadar Chet Raj Phulara of the Division Forest Office, Kailali, alleging offences against public peace. He further informed that the other ten individuals who had been arrested in connection with the incident were released on the same day.
To ascertain the facts of the incident, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests, and Environment of Sudurpashchim Province also formed a five-member investigation committee on 15 June 2026 under the coordination of the Provincial Forest Directorate. The committee was mandated to submit its report within seven days and consists of Dr. Hem Raj Bista, Director of the Provincial Forest Directorate, as Coordinator; Kiran Joshi, Assistant Chief District Officer of the District Administration Office, Kailali; Janak Padhya, Forest Officer of the Division Forest Office, Pahalmanpur; Dhoj Raj Joshi, Technical Engineer of the Transport Management Office; and Bijay Raj Ojha, Legal Officer at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment, as members.
The monitoring team collected information through observation of the incident site and by meeting and communicating with the affected individuals, the Chairperson of Ward No. 4 of Godawari Municipality, the Chief of the Division Forest Office, Kailali, the DSP of the District Police Office, Kailali, members of the investigation committee, and eyewitnesses to the incident.
