Court kindles hope

The verdict on the Soti caste killings is a definitive moment for social justice.

Tuesday, December 5, will be a landmark in the annals of Nepal’s social justice history. It was the day when the culprits of hate against humanity were sentenced to life imprisonment. The West Rukum District Court on Tuesday found 24 individuals guilty in the murder of Nabaraj BK and five of his friends in a gruesome case of caste atrocity at Soti village of Chaurjahari Municipality in West Rukum in 2020. In addition, the single bench of Judge Khadga Bahadur KC found two more individuals guilty of caste-based discrimination. Of the 24 getting life sentences, 17 have been convicted for caste-based discrimination. Apart from it being one of the biggest criminal cases in the country so far, with a total of 26 culprits being convicted, it is also a rare instance of a definitive and fairly progressive pronouncement in a case involving social injustice.