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Kathmandu, Nov 17: Police are intensifying the search for the group that set fire to the Supreme Court (SC)during the Gen Z protests. While the nationwide crackdown on those involved in arson, looting and other violent acts is underway, investigators have given top priority to identifying those who targeted the Supreme Court.

In recent incidents, 23 courts across the country, including the Supreme Court and Special Court, were set on fire. Both courts had already asked police to speed up the investigation. Based on that request, a special Kathmandu police team is now focused on identifying and tracking those involved. Separate teams are looking into groups that looted weapons and those that set government offices on fire.

For the Supreme Court arson, police are relying on collected footage and visual evidence. The investigation faced pressure on Friday after the Gen Z Movement Alliance, Council of Gen Z, provincial coordinators and Gen Z Front submitted an 11-point proposal to Prime Minister Sushila Karki. Point two demands the release of all detainees except those held for murder and rape, and proposes handing remaining cases to a separate commission.

So far, 511 people have been arrested for violence, arson and looting during the protests, according to Police Headquarters. Of them, 222 have been charged. Some have been sent to judicial custody on charges related to weapons, explosives and attempted homicide.

The mass arrests follow the violent events of September 8 and 9. Protesters attacked police offices, torched private homes and commercial buildings and looted weapons. Several prisons were also broken into, allowing inmates to escape. The largest damage occurred on September 9.

Police say many of those involved in vandalism, arson and other criminal acts had prior criminal records. Arrests are being made using photos and videos captured during the protests.

Six people accused of killing ASI Milan Rai and Constable Uttam Thapa of the Maharajgunj Police Circle have already been sent to judicial custody. Rai and Thapa were killed during the September 9 clashes. After video analysis, police arrested Home Prasad Paudel, Tikaram Bik, Buddhi Lal Tamang, Yuvaraj Kyapchaki and others.

In the Koteshwor Police Circle case, police arrested Anupam Bhandari from Kailali for the killing of Constable Amrit Gurung. He is accused along with Som Gurung, Rajiv Gurung, Unique Shrestha, Deepak Magar, Sumit Titung, Alish Shrestha and Saurav Tamang.

Although the Home Ministry earlier instructed police not to investigate non-homicide and non-rape cases, police say investigations into serious offences are continuing and they hold thousands of photos and videos of Gen Z-related criminal acts.

People’s News Monitoring Service