A joint complaint has been registered against leading rights activists for “inflicting physical and psychological pain and ruining social reputation by dragging them into false cases”.

Twelve individuals from Fujel of Gorkha district on Monday registered the complaint at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission against Kanak Mani Dixit, Sushil Pyakurel, Kapil Shrestha, Charan Prasai, Subodh Pyakurel, Dinesh Tripathi and Mandira Sharma. Sushil is also the political advisor to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

The complainants have demanded action against them for rights violation and reparation for the damage caused to them. The petitioners are the accused in the

case of insurgency-era murder of Krishna Prasad Adhikari of Fujel.

Nineteen-year-old Krishna Prasad was reportedly abducted from Bakulahar Chowk of Ratnanagar Municipality in Chitwan in June 2004 by the former Maoist rebels and subsequently killed. His parents started a hunger strike in 2013 demanding arrest of the murderers of their son. His father Nanda Prasad died while still on the hunger strike in 2014. His mother Ganga Maya has been carrying on with her fast. This is the first complaint registered at the TRC, which accuses rights defenders of violating human rights.

In the complaint, the villagers have charged the rights defenders with provoking the parents of the murdered boy and producing a false case against them. “They made up a case and dragged us to the court without any proof or basis,” said a petitioner, who did not want to be named. “They created the case against us to serve their personal and institutional interests. The TRC should look into this and give us justice.”

Former Chairman of the Council of Ministers Khilraj Regmi, then-home minister and the chief district officer and the DSP of Chitwan district have also been named in the case.