The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday formed a committee to probe an incident in Bardiya in which a girl died

According to a statement by the Home Ministry, the committee is headed by Joint Secretary Hari Prasad Ghimire.

Asmita Tharu, 41, of Sonaha in Madhuwan-2 of the district was injured when a tiger attacked her while she was collecting firewood on Monday. Locals then blocked the road demanding protection from wild animals.

A team of security personnel and rangers was subsequently deployed to control the tiger to the accident site. But a clash ensued between security forces and locals.

According to the ministry, security forces then lobbed tear gas shells and opened fire, in which Nabina Tharu, 18, of Madhuwan-2 was injured.

She died while undergoing treatment at a hospital, said the ministry, adding that as many 20 security forces and one civilian were also injured who are undergoing treatment at Nepalgunj Nursing Home.

The Ghimire-led committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days.

Bed Kumar Dhakal, deputy director general at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation; Krishna Koirala, superintendent of police; Bikas Pandey, deputy investigation officer at the Department of Investigation; and Dhurva Bahadur Khadka, under-secretary at the Home Ministry are the member of the committee.

The Bardiya incident was raised in Parliament also on Tuesday.

Responding to the queries, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand said that there was no such order to police to open fire on the local people.

Khand said that the chief district officer did not have an order to open fire.

“In case of obstruction by citizens, there is no order to shoot at the crowd. I would like to say from this rostrum that the government of Nepal has an order to resolve the dispute by holding an all-party meeting and using the least amount of force,” he said. “There was no order to shoot.”