Yog Bahadur (Shree Krishna) Shrestha, a 22-year-old from ward 6 of Bahrabise Municipality in Sindhupalchok, was shot in the abdomen during the Gen Z protests on September 9, his brother Ram Krishna said.

“He lost his life demanding a corruption-free nation. Our family is devastated, but we also fear his sacrifice may go in vain,” Ram Krishna said, his voice breaking.

Shree Krishna had only recently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree programme and had been living in Kathmandu for the past three years. With limited opportunities within the country, he was preparing to fly to Malta for work.

According to his brother, the family only learned later that Shree Krishna had joined the demonstrations. “We never imagined something like this would happen,” Ramkrishna recalled.

He said Shree Krishna was deeply troubled by stories of people in the district dying because they could not afford treatment. His own final moments were marked by confusion and fear for his family.

“We got a call saying he had been taken to hospital. We searched all night across Kathmandu. Only later did we find out that he had been rushed from Trauma Centre to Teaching Hospital—by then, it was too late,” Ramkrishna said, holding back tears.

Shree Krishna’s death adds to the growing toll of young lives lost in the protests, leaving families like his struggling to reconcile their grief with the hope that the sacrifices were not in vain.