14 September 2007
Shankar Panthi
Unknown
Shankar Panthi, a correspondent of the local pro-Maoist "Naya Satta Daily" newspaper, in Sunawal, in the western district of Nawalparasi, was found by police at a roadside near a petrol station on 14 September 2007.
His body, which bore the signs of injuries to several parts of his body. Aged 34 and known to be a Maoist supporter, Panthi was killed on his way back from covering the destruction of an office of the Young Communist League, a pro-Maoist organisation. The police initially claimed he was knocked off his bicycle by a vehicle and died on the spot. They later said he died on the way to hospital. A bus driver's arrest supported the road accident story. Panthi's suspicious death has sparked a wave of outrage. The Association of Revolutionary Journalists does not rule out the possibility that he was murdered. The YCL has called for an autopsy by a team of three doctors to ensure impartiality. Residents of Sunawal blocked a road and closed a market on 15 September to put pressure on the local authorities.
