KATHMANDU, April 8: A lawyer representing the family of Dil Bahadur Limbu, who was shot dead by a police officer in Hong Kong last month, has accused the police of fueling negative media reports about Limbu in the immediate aftermath of the incident to justify the officer´s actions. [break]
Renewing calls for an independent inquiry into the death of Hong Kong-born Limbu—who was shot once in the head by a lone officer responding to a complaint call—lawyer Mike Vidler said police "fueled" reports that he was an illegal immigrant, had a criminal record and was mentally ill.
Limbu, 31, died on March 17 after the officer—who has not been named—shot him in the head at Ho Man Tin park.
Police say Limbu, whose wife Mina Rai and five-year-old daughter Tanchhoma Limbu live with his old parents in Dharan, was armed with a wooden chair and refused to stop attacking the officer despite repeated warnings.
Limbu´s widow, who has since flown to Hong Kong with her daughter, and his older brother Ram Kumar Limbu, a British army soldier who has joined in from United Kingdom, were represented by Vidler and supported by rights groups and the Hong Kong Nepalese Federation, The Standard newspaper reported in Hong Kong.
They revealed that a formal request to hold an independent inquiry into Limbu´s death—as well as a coroner´s inquest—will be submitted to the Department of Justice and copied to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.
Vidler said an independent inquiry would help address issues that would not be dealt with at the inquest, such as the training of police officers to deal with ethnic minorities, and the active recruitment of minorities into the force.
He said that aside from the inquest, it is not clear why police are investigating one of their own in such a case and an independent committee free of bias would be preferable.
"[Limbu´s] wife is devastated. His death leaves her a widow and their daughter without a father. Adding to their anguish were statements made by police to the media immediately following the incident which appear intent on misleading the public about Limbu´s character," Vidler said.
"All these had the impact of blackening his name and trying to justify police behavior, with an unspoken suggestion that Limbu caused his own death."
Chief Attorney or private lawyer?
