Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) leader and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said that he would appear before the judicial inquiry commission investigating the incidents of September 8 and 9 to record his statement.
Speaking to journalists after a meeting of the party’s Central Work Execution Committee in Lalitpur on Thursday, Lekhak said he was prepared to cooperate with the probe.
Lekhak, who was the home minister at the time of the protest, said he would appear before the commission on Monday to record his statement.
“The commission has asked me to appear before it to record a statement by Friday. But I will go there on Monday,” Lekhak said.
The protests resulted in 77 deaths-20 on September 8, 37 on September 9, and 20 in the days following the protests. Similarly, 429 others, including 17 children under 13, were injured. Physical losses due to arson and vandalism during the protest are estimated at Rs 84.45 billion.
The commission had summoned Lekhak to record a statement on Tuesday.
The government formed the three-member commission on September 21 under the chairmanship of former Judge Gauri Bahadur Karki. Former AIG of the Nepal Police, Bigyan Raj Sharma, and legal expert Bishweshwar Prasad Bhandari are the other members of the commission.
Although the commission has said that it is preparing to summon former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to record his statement, Oli has said that he won’t appear before the commission.
