The Nepal Police Headquarters has formed an internal investigation committee to probe the loss of lives and property during the Gen Z-led protest on September 8 and the ensuing violence and destruction on September 9.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chandrakuber Khapung on Tuesday constituted the committee under the leadership of Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Police Sushil Singh Rathaur, who also heads the Crime Investigation Department.

The committee has been tasked with conducting a detailed investigation into the excessive use of force against demonstrators, human casualties, operational shortcomings, and the subsequent day’s widespread destruction. The team has been directed to submit its report within one month.

The committee includes Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Deepak Regmi from the Planning and Investigation Directorate, along with representatives from the Operations Department, Human Resources Department, Crime Investigation Department, Administration Department, and the Forensic Science Laboratory.

According to the police headquarters, the panel will assess the causes of the Gen Z protests, the police’s handling of the demonstrations, and the extent of property and human losses. It will also recommend improvements in field deployment strategy, coordination among security agencies, and the handling of lethal and non-lethal weapons during protests.

The IGP’s order also calls for reviewing the morale of security personnel and suggesting measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Officials said the formation of the internal committee had been slightly delayed due to the time taken to gather preliminary damage reports from across the country.

“The police headquarters has already received preliminary reports from across the country and the new team has been tasked to study in detail, find the causes of losses and ways to correct them in future which will serve as a lesson for the institution,” an official at Police Headquarters said. “The team will not only identify causes, weaknesses but also suggest necessary reforms in deployment, coordination, logistics, and morale management.”

Earlier, the government had already set up a separate three-member judicial commission led by former Special Court chair Gauri Bahadur Karki to probe the same incidents. The commission is now busy in its field investigations.

The September 8–9 protests and riots resulted in massive human and material losses. A total of 76 people, including three police personnel and 10 inmates, were killed, and more than 2,400 others were injured.

The riots also caused extensive damage to public and private properties, including the Office of the President, Supreme Court, Parliament building, Prime Minister’s residence, Singha Durbar, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, police stations, offices of political parties, media houses, and business establishments.

Police records show that over 450 police stations were vandalised or set ablaze during the September 9 violence. More than 1,200 weapons were looted, along with nearly 100,000 rounds of ammunition.

Security agencies have since recovered over 700 weapons and some ammunition from various locations, but more than 500 firearms remain missing, according to officials at Police Headquarters.

The newly formed AIG-led committee is expected to evaluate these incidents comprehensively and submit its findings to the IGP within the next month.