Manju Dhital, wife of Devi Prasad Dhital, who was shot dead in Dang on Thursday evening, asks these questions whenever she regains consciousness. Manju lost consciousness after coming to know about her husband´s murder. [break]
The murder of media entrepreneur Devi Prasad Dhital has shocked the entire district. Thousands, including political workers, rights workers, journalists and businessmen attended his funeral procession Friday morning. Police struggled to manage a crowd of thousands that reached late Dhital´s residence earlier to pay their last respects.
In protest of the murder, markets, factories and small businesses in the district were shut down on Friday. Radio Tulsipur FM of which Dhital was chairman broadcast requiem throughout the day. Other radios operating in the district did the same.
Radio Tulsipur´s manager Arjun Giri said the radio will not broadcast entertainment programs for 13 days to mourn Dhital´s death. Dhital´s murder has struck terror among journalists working with the radio.
Dhital was shot at some 10 kilometers south of Tulsipur bazaar Thursday while he was returning after campaigning for election. They first shot hit him in the leg, after which he tried to escape on a motorbike, but then the assailants shot him again, after which he collapsed, according to locals.
The murder took place in a densely populated area. However, most locals had not returned home when the shooting took place as this is plantation season.
Dhital, who also worked as a contractor, was an active Nepali Congress worker.
He was preparing to file candidacy for regional representative at the regional convention scheduled for August 2. He had reached his village, Urahari, to campaign for the election Thursday morning and was returning from the village when he was shot. He died on the spot.
Shanta Bahadur Oli, pillion rider of the motorbike Dhital was riding, was unconscious until Friday evening. Oli is under police guard.
Police have termed the murder mysterious and have said investigation has become difficult as not many eyewitnesses were found. After intense pressure, the District Police Office has constituted a special investigation team under the command of Deputy Superintendent of Police Laxman Giri.
DSP Giri, who reached the murder scene on Friday, said there has been no progress in the investigation.
“We have not recovered any evidence,” he said. “There aren´t many eyewitnesses willing to talk.”
Though extortion has become rife in Tulsipur in recent days, Dhital hadn´t received any extortion calls, according Giri, manager of the radio. “He never told us about extortion calls, and wasn´t scared of anything,” Giri said.
Locals said he didn´t have political enemies either.
Dhital, who was from Urahari-8 had shifted to Rajaura, Tulsipur-6 twelve years ago. Apart from running Radio Tulsipur FM, he worked was a rations contractor and supplied food to the 19th Brigade of Nepal Army in Tulsipur.
Dhital is survived by his wife and two daughters. He was cremated on the banks of Babai River. His 10-year-old nephew consigned the body to flames.
Condemnation
FM broadcasters based in Kathmandu Valley have condemned Dhital´s murder and demanded that the government bring the murderers to justice.
Condemning the murder, the broadcasters also aired requiem for 2 minutes on Friday evening in protest of the killing.
“We demand an immediate arrest of the murderer and end to the state of rampant impunity,” the broadcasters said in a statement, adding that their profession is in danger due to frequent attacks on media.
Also NGOs working in the human rights sector have demanded that Dhital´s killers be punished.
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