Three young men from Gorkha died in this week’s anti-corruption protests in Kathmandu, leaving their villages in mourning. The bereaved families have demanded justice before collecting the bodies from hospitals.

Twenty-two-year-old Bimal Bhatta of ward 5 of Barpak Sulikot Rural Municipality, 23-year-old Arjun Bhatta of ward 4 of Gandaki Rural Municipality and 40-year-old Ramesh Parajuli of ward 3 of Palungtar Municipality were killed when security forces opened fire at different protest sites in the national capital.

The protests led by the Gen Z movement demanding political reforms and better governance spread across the nation, mainly on September 8 and 9. The demonstrations turned violent after security personnel used live ammunition in several places, sparking outrage among the protesters and the general public.

Dreams shattered

Bimal, a young student pursuing higher education in Kathmandu, was shot in the chest and forehead near Parliament building at New Baneshwar on September 8. According to his relative Sujan Bhatta, Bimal was among the first protesters to be hit when security forces opened fire around 3:30 pm.

“We learnt that he collapsed right in front of Parliament. Friends rushed him to the nearby Civil Hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival,” said Sujan.

Bimal had recently returned to Kathmandu after spending the rice-planting season in his village. After passing the Secondary Education Exam (SEE) from Jalakanya Devi Secondary School, he lived with his maternal uncle at Koteshwar while studying at Pashupati Campus in Chabahil.

Family members said his mother, who is ailing in the village, has been told only that her son was injured. “She keeps asking to speak with him on the phone,” Sujan said. “We haven’t dared to tell her the truth.”

Bimal’s body is at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. His relatives have said they will not collect the body until the government takes responsibility and announces support for the bereaved families.

Losing a sole breadwinner

The protests also claimed the life of Ramesh Parajuli, a grocery store owner in Kathmandu and the only son of elderly parents from Bardedanda in Palungtar. Ramesh had worked in Dubai for a decade before returning to Nepal to start a small business near Baniyatar.

“He was a good man, always helpful to everyone. The entire village is in shock," said Rabindra Adhikari, ward 3 chairman of Palungtar Municipality and a neighbour of the bereaved family.

Ramesh’s mother, Krishna Kumari, was sent to Kathmandu on Wednesday without being informed of her son’s death, as she suffers from heart problems. Villagers have taken the responsibility of tending to her goats and buffaloes while she is away.

Ramesh had planned to bring his parents to live with him in Kathmandu after this year’s Dashain festival (in October). “He often said he would build a house for them and take care of them in their old age,” recalled Adhikari.

Shot dead in Kalimati

Arjun was killed near the Kalimati Police Circle when security forces fired on protesters. Originally from Dhabe in ward 4 of Gandaki Rural Municipality, Arjun grew up in Kathmandu, living with his father who runs a hotel in Kirtipur.

“He had recently come back from abroad and was studying Japanese while helping with the family business,” said his uncle Jit Bahadur Bhatta. “He was young, full of dreams, but everything ended in a moment.”

Arjun’s family said multiple protesters were injured by the bullet that struck him first. His body also lies at the Teaching Hospital, with relatives awaiting the government’s response before conducting the funeral rites.

The deaths of the three men from Gorkha add to the growing list of casualties from the Gen Z protests. For now, the families of Bimal, Ramesh and Arjun continue to wait—grieving silently in the hope that the state will deliver justice before they lay their loved ones to rest.