2015 Tikapur massacre suspect Chaudhary wins election

DHANGADHI, Dec 12: Rastriya Janata Party Nepal candidate Resham Lal Chaudhary, who has remained the main suspect of 2015 Tikapur massacre won the House of Representatives election under first-past-the-post category from Kailali costituency-1. Chaudhary defeated his nearest rival Madan Kumari Garima Sah securing 34,341 votes in his favor. Saha garnered 20,934 votes.

Chaudhary had fled to India, after the police accused him of involvement in Tikapur murder. On August 24, 2015 armed protesters affiliated with the Tharuhat Struggle Committee attacked security force attempting to enforce restrictions with axes, scythes and spears in Tikapur, Kailali killing eight, including seven police officers and a two-year old baby.

Following the promulgation of the new constitution on September 20, 2015, Madhesis and Tharus, terming the demarcation of seven provinces to be unfair (only a patch of eight districts in the region were given the status of state in Terai; while the remaining 14 districts were carved with the hill districts), Unified Democratic Madheshi Front and Tharuhat Joint Struggle committee had called an indefinite strike beginning on August 8. The one-and-half month long struggle left 46 people dead and injuring thousands.

Chaudhary, whom police had enlisted him fugitive, had used the social networking sites as the means of election publicity campaign.

According to Kailali’s Chief Election Officer Bishnu Prasad Aryal, the issues regarding the handover of election victory certificate to Chaudhary and administration of oath of secrecy on him will be sorted out as per the decision of the EC.

District Police Office, Kailali’s Superintendent of Police Binod Ghimire said, “Police will arrest the accused if he is found and will be presented before the court as per the law.”

The family of Chaudhary including his spouse and kin visited the Election Office on Tuesday morning citing that they were there to receive his certificate. The Office informed them about the legal provisions regarding the matter and were sendt back, stated by Election Officer Khimanand Bhusal.

The law requires that any candidate winning the election should herself/himself be physically present before the Office to receive the certificate, otherwise the certificate will be dispatched to her/his home address. Provided that there was no situation to implement the second provision, the certificate will be submitted to the EC.