A month after a group of people from Banke district started a painful struggle seeking justice for a murder victim and a woman missing for over a decade, the government on Tuesday formed a committee to investigate into the incidents.

Nankunni Dhobi, 38, was found dead on July 20 under suspicious circumstances at her home in Ward 2 of Janaki Rural Municipality in Banke. Another victim, Nirmala Kurmi, 52, of the same rural municipality remains missing since January 2010. Kurmi, who owned a good deal of land, went missing two years after her two teenage sons were murdered within a span of a week.

But police never took the cases seriously despite concerns and efforts by local women rights activists.

Then last month, a team of 12 women and two men led by Rubi Khan, a rights activist, in their last ditch effort for justice embarked on an over 500 kilometers arduous march to the Capital from Banke. They arrived in Kathmandu after 20 days on October 6.

And from October 8, they began their sit-in protest at Maitighar Mandala but after two days, on October 10, police rounded them up and whisked the ailing protest leader Khan off to Nepalgunj charging her with polyandry.

It was only after former National Human Rights Commission member Mohna Ansari filed a habeas corpus petition and the Supreme Court issued an order for a second time to the Nepal Police and the Attorney General that the authorities produced Khan before the court on October 14.

The protesters led by Khan, who was on the 11th day of her hunger strike, ended their protest on Tuesday after the government announced a six-member investigation committee led by a joint secretary of the Home Ministry.

The investigation committee comprises Home Ministry Joint Secretary Hiralal Regmi, Nepal Police Superintendent Ram Prakash Sah, Director of the National Investigation Department Dhirendra Singh Karki, Under Secretary (Law Section) of the Home Ministry Ram Prasad Lamsal, Mohammad Sher Bagban as representative of the protestors, and an officer of the District Administration Office Banke.

“We have decided to stall our protests after the government formed a probe team,” said Sakina Teli, one of the protestors.

The protestors have also demanded action against Superintendent of Police Shyam Krishna Adhikari and Deputy Superintendent of Police Madhusudan Neupane of Banke district.

Teli said they would return to Nepalgunj on Wednesday and the probe team would begin its work within a week. “We are hopeful that the probe committee will give justice to us,” Teli told the Post.

Home Ministry spokesperson Phanindra Mani Pokharel said the probe team will begin its work from Thursday and the Chief District Officer of Banke will provide one of its experienced representatives for the probe.

“Though we have initially allocated one week to complete the investigation, the time will be extended as both the cases are complex,” said Pokharel.

Pokharel, however, defended the government’s alleged attempt to diffuse the protests by trying to indict Khan on polyandry charge, saying that was not a big deal. “The police were just doing their job as there was a case against her, but she was released after the Supreme Court order,” he said.

Reacting to Tuesday’s agreement, Khan said they have postponed their protest hoping that justice would be done to the victims but warned that they would resume more stringent protest if the investigation is not fair.

“We have pinned hopes on the probe team but have also warned the authorities that we are not going to stop our struggle,” Khan told the Post at Maiti Nepal where the protesters are taking shelter before they return to Nepalgunj on Wednesday. “We have reports of more cases of violence against women so we need to be in Nepalgunj.”

Meanwhile, Ansari, former member of the National Human Rights Commission, said she was hopeful that the probe team could give justice as it comprises top law enforcement officials. “Let’s hope that the probe team will give justice,” Ansari said. “A lot of things will be clear in a week.”