A former chief of Nepal Police authorised the use of lethal force during the deadly anti-corruption protests that shook Kathmandu in September 2025, according to an investigation broadcast by the BBC.
The findings relate to unrest on 8–9 September last year, when at least 77 people were killed in what became the most serious violence in Nepal since the end of the decade-long civil war in 2006. The protests ultimately led to the collapse of the coalition government, and no senior officials have so far been held accountable for the deaths.
The report, aired ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for 5 March, draws on an internal police document, more than 4,000 videos and photographs, eyewitness testimony and accounts from security officials. It represents one of the most detailed public examinations of how largely youth-led demonstrations escalated into widespread bloodshed.
According to the BBC, an individual using the call sign “Peter 1” instructed officers to “deploy necessary force” shortly after a curfew was imposed, following repeated requests from personnel on the ground to use live ammunition. The broadcaster identified the call sign as belonging to then-police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung.
The BBC reported that Khapung did not deny issuing the order but maintained that he acted after receiving authorisation from a government security committee led by a senior civil servant. Nepal Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the broadcast, though officers previously said they were confronted with multiple incidents unfolding simultaneously and described the situation as overwhelming.
The violence remains the subject of a public inquiry, to which Khapung has submitted a confidential statement. The investigation into the events is ongoing.
Former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who resigned a day after the unrest intensified, has denied directing security forces to fire on demonstrators. He has previously attributed the destruction to “infiltrators”. However, the BBC said its investigation found no evidence to support claims that organised political groups were behind the escalation.
Human Rights Watch reported in November that security forces used what it described as disproportionate force, including repeated firing on protesters. Citing medical officials in Kathmandu, the organisation said dozens of victims died from high-velocity gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
The BBC examined several individual shootings and said it did not find evidence that the victims analysed were engaged in acts of violence at the time they were shot.
The protests began after the government temporarily restricted access to several social media platforms, triggering demonstrations led largely by younger activists. Anger over corruption and economic hardship quickly broadened the movement, and unrest spread beyond the capital. Government buildings, including parliament offices, were set ablaze as the crisis deepened.
With national elections days away, the revelations are likely to sharpen debate over accountability and the use of force during one of the country’s most turbulent periods in recent years.
