PANCHTHAR, May 25: The brutal murder of nine people of two families recently in Panchthar and the subsequent hanging of the suspect in a tree has left the entire Miklajung Rural Municipality in a state of shock. Even though a large number of police personnel have been deployed in and around the crime spot at Arubote area and investigation into the case is underway, the people are restless. 

People at every nook and corner of the district are talking about rising criminal activities across the country. Even small disputes are taking lives of family members or kin, which they find most disturbing. 

“The latest incident has shocked us. It is very disturbing,” said Jiwan Fiyak of Arubote village. “People are getting so much short-tempered and intolerant these days that even small disputes trigger big crimes. We don’t feel safe even at home. And we don’t have police everywhere.”

According to Bhagishwa Yonghang, principal of Siddhadev Secondary School, people want the culprit behind bars immediately. Unless that is done, they say they won’t feel safe. 

“There is a large number of police deployed here in Arubote after the incident, yet people are terrified. They feel as if the real culprit is walking free in plain sight among the crowd,” he noted. “These days, domestic violence and crime have become too common and the sense of insecurity stems from these incidents.”

He added that crime is on the rise and so are the people reporting it to police. But security mechanism is still not that modern to be effective. 

A girl was murdered last month in Hilihang Rural Municipality –4. This incident also shook the villagers. Though the case is under investigation, police have not reached to any conclusion yet. 

“The girl’s murder was very disturbing too. She was found murdered and abandoned on the way. Now people have stopped walking along that way,” Yonghang said. “And rumors make it worse. Children are terrified.”

While the locals of Miklajung have been consulting regularly these days regarding security issues, people of Hililhang have already handed over a memorandum to the District Administration Office demanding more police posts, deployment of more security personnel and quick investigation of crime cases.

According to a human rights activist, Prem Ojha, brutal cases naturally disturb people. Psychological counseling is required. 

“When brutal murder takes place, it indeed disturbs people deeply. Only investigation by police may not be enough in such a case. It could require counseling,” he said. “And people hear frequent incidents of domestic violence, which adds to their tension.”

According to locals, people are even opting migration following the Miklajung incident. “People are talking of migration more intensely, some have even decided for it,” Fiyak noted. 

He reported that the daily life of the locality has not yet come to normalcy after the brutal murder of the nine people. “People are still in a state of shock,” he said. 

Also according to Kumari Mangalak of Arubote marketplace, they are yet to overcome the shock. 

“People are killing each other these days over petty issues. What an awful situation!” she exclaimed. 

She added that moral degradation needs to be addressed, along with better security management. “After the recent murder case, people here are talking about nothing but crime. It is hard to sleep at night as fear haunts them,” she said. 

Police Chief of Panchthar DSP Narendra Kunwar admitted that people are not feeling safe and their demand for more security posts is valid. 

Once the investigation of the troublesome murder case is over there could be some respite, he said. 

“The matter is under investigation. The nature of crime was indeed very disturbing. While we are trying our best to reach to the truth behind the incident, civil society leaders should try to soothe the people,” Kuwar said. 

Reacting to people’s demand for more security posts, Kunwar admitted that there are places where security response could not be possible instantly due to lack of resources. “Though we want it, we cannot reach instantly at some places. People’s voice for more security posts is valid,” he said. 

There are six area police offices, 16 police units and six temporary police posts in the district. Houses in the hills are scattered in steep landscapes where security force might not be available during emergency.

 
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