Four soldiers, including Tara Balami, who reportedly had an affair with slain Tulasa, were reportedly involved in the killings. Balami’s is the only identity that has been revealed, but the name of his battalion has been kept a secret and so have the identities of the three remaining members of his group. News reports say citing police sources that after the killings, the soldiers looted Rs 100,000 and gold from the Balami household.
The fact that the incident came to light over two months after the murders offers sufficient indication that there has been an effort to influence police investigations. Though this has been the army’s standard approach whenever soldiers are found involved in grave human rights violations, it is time that the army understood a simple fact. Denying crime and protecting criminals for the simple reason that they are members of the army does not cleanse the image of the institution of army that is yet to clear a backlog of rights violation incidents of the conflict era. Instead, a clear demonstration of intent to cooperate with police investigations will help the institution elevate itself in the human rights yardstick and also discourage straying soldiers from crossing the line.
Unlike the Bardiya killings that the army has tried its best to fit into a story of regular retaliatory action against armed poachers, the Thimure killings is a clear case of grave human rights violation. It is perhaps due to this reason that the army has not come out with its court of enquiry report related to the Thimure incident, though such report took little time to come after the Bardiya killings. The murders in Thimure village offer a chilling reminder of the war-time hangover that some members of the army appear to have still not overcome. Such reminders won’t help the institution earn the trust of Nepali people.
The army must fully cooperate with police investigations, and submit its soldiers to the laws of the land. Justice has already been delayed by keeping the incident under wraps for so long. The delay cannot be indefinite.
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