- Families of two men killed in a police shooting in Dewanganj received the bodies following a five-day standoff and a government agreement.
- The seven-point deal includes NPR 1 million compensation, martyr status, family employment, and an impartial investigation into the fatal incident.
- While the immediate dispute ended, the tragedy has shaken communal harmony and left the village under curfew and heightened security.
- Local authorities and residents stress that lasting peace and trust depend on the state fulfilling its promises and delivering justice for the victims.
Biratnagar, Nepal: For five days, two families in Dewanganj refused to receive the bodies of their sons. Their demand was not only to mourn their loss, but also to secure a commitment that the deaths would be investigated and those responsible held accountable.
That wait ended on Friday after the government and the victims' families signed a seven-point agreement, allowing the families to receive the bodies of two young men killed in a police shooting and proceed with their final rites. Yet, even as the immediate standoff came to an end, residents say the tragedy has left a deeper wound—one that has shaken trust within a community long known for peaceful coexistence.
Twenty-five-year-old Om Prakash Mehta of Dewanganj-4 died on Sunday after police opened fire while attempting to control a clash between two groups in Captainganj, Dewanganj Rural Municipality-3, Sunsari. Jay Prakash Mehta, 22, of Dewanganj-3, who was critically injured in the same incident, died on Thursday while receiving treatment at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar.
Eight other people were injured in the shooting. Six remain hospitalized in Biratnagar, while two have been referred to Kathmandu for advanced treatment.
The breakthrough came after overnight negotiations led by Home Minister Sudhan Gurung. Under the agreement signed on Friday morning, the government committed to provide NPR 1 million (Rs. 10 lakh) in relief to each bereaved family, initiate the process of declaring the deceased national martyrs, conduct an impartial investigation, prosecute those found responsible, provide employment to one member of each family and establish a memorial park in honor of the victims.
Although the agreement cleared the way for the families to receive the bodies from Koshi Hospital after post-mortem examinations, not everyone was immediately convinced. Some local residents questioned whether the government's promises would be fulfilled and initially urged the families not to accept the bodies. The impasse ended only after local authorities assured them that the agreement would be implemented.
The village, however, remains on edge.
Curfew restrictions continue, security personnel remain deployed, and conversations have shifted from the immediate violence to what comes next—justice, accountability and the restoration of trust.
Deputy Chairperson of Dewanganj Rural Municipality Kumari Vibha Yadav said the incident has altered relationships in a community where people had long lived side by side without religious divisions.
"Until this happened, we never looked at one another as Hindus or Muslims. We simply lived together," she said. "This incident has damaged those relationships, and rebuilding them will take time."
She likened the community's situation to a broken thread.
"A broken thread can be tied together again, but the knot remains," she said. "Both sides need patience and cooperation if we are to restore the harmony that once existed."
Local social leader Ram Narayan Mehta believes rebuilding that trust depends on justice.
"We all belong to this village. Neither they nor we have another place to go," he said. "We must continue living together, but that will only be possible if the state ensures a fair investigation and holds those responsible accountable."
Police say the situation has gradually stabilized since the agreement was reached, although fear has not entirely subsided.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandra Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson for the Sunsari District Police Office, said residents from both communities continue to express concerns about their safety.
"There is still fear and uncertainty on both sides," Khadka said. "We continue to receive calls from local residents. Security has been strengthened, and we are working to facilitate a return to normalcy."
While the agreement has ended the dispute over the bodies, it has not ended the questions surrounding the shooting. For the families, the next step is to perform the final rites for their loved ones. For Dewanganj, the greater challenge lies in ensuring that justice is delivered and that a tragedy which claimed two young lives does not leave a permanent divide in a community that once prided itself on living together in peace.
