Royalists quizzed by Nepal panel

By Sushil Sharma
BBC News, Kathmandu

The protests forced King Gyanendra to give up his direct rule

A high level panel in Nepal has begun questioning senior officials of the ousted royalist government.

The panel has the power to investigate their role in alleged excesses during recent pro-democracy protests.

It has been formed after street demonstrations forced king Gyanendra to end his year-long direct rule in April.

The panel questioned two former senior ministers, Tulsi Giri and Badri Prasad Mandal, and a junior minister, Nikshya Shumsher Rana, on Tuesday.

Suspended

Mr Giri was the second highest ranking member of the Council of Ministers that King Gyanendra headed.

The panel also plans to question many others, including the suspended heads of the security agencies.

We have begun questioning these former Cabinet members on their role in human rights abuses and also financial irregularities while they were in power Harihar Birahi, member of investigating panel

The chiefs of the civil police, armed police and intelligence agency were suspended last month.

The authorities say the inquiry panel will recommend action against officials found guilty of committing excesses.

A retired Supreme Court judge, Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, heads the five-member panel that includes a lawyer, a journalist and a doctor.

There have been allegations of excessive use of force against pro-democracy demonstrators.

Twenty-one people died and several hundred were wounded when security forces fired at protesters and used batons and tear gas shells to disperse them.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the street across the country to press for the restoration of democracy during the three weeks of protests that forced King Gyanendra to end his direct rule two months ago.

A multi-party government has been in place since then.