KATHMANDU: Metropolitan Crime Branch of Nepal Police nabbed Kale alias Bishnu Lama, accused of more than half a dozen crimes in Tokha, Kathmandu in a fierce encounter on Monday morning.

Kale, who was on loose after being charged with the heinous crime of robbery finally fell into the net of Nepal police after an exchange of a few gun-shots.

Shot in his right leg, Kale is being treated at the Trauma Centre, Kathmandu. Being in the top list of criminals, police didn’t want to take any chance on nabbing him and hence reached the spot instantly early in the Monday morning triggering in ‘encounter’ between the police and dreaded criminal.

Sahakul Thapa, SSP at the Metropolitan Crime Branch, claims that Kale resisted the efforts of Nepal Police to take him in control and launched a counterattack on police team thereby resulting into an exchange of gunshots.

Who is Bishnu Lama ‘Kale’?

As per the police report, Bishnu Lama ‘Kale’ — accused of several crimes and is on top of the ‘most wanted list’ of police — has been absconding for long. SSP Thapa adds further, “He has been convicted in theft and robbery. He languished in prison for six years and then was released in 2072 BS. But, he didn’t change his behavior and once again entered the world of crimes committing a series of crimes relating to theft and robbery. More than half a dozen of fresh cases of robbery have been waiting for him now.”

What is more shocking is the fact that Kale has not even spared the houses of high ranking police officials such as Jaya Bahadur Chand, AIG (Additional Inspector General) and DIG Bishwaraj Singh Shahi. Kale has ransacked and plundered the houses of these officers.

In some cases, such ‘goons and hooligans’ function under the protection of police only to meet their end by receiving the police gunshots. Latest facts reveal that nine people got trapped last year in police encounters. Amongst them, 4 lost their lives and others got injured.

• May 20, 2019, encounter in Tokha, Kathmandu, notorious Bishnu Tamang injured
• 23 January 2019, encounter in Saptari, most-wanted Dependra Jaiwal killed
• 22 January 2019, encounter at New Buspark, Abilash Tamang injured
• 18 January 2019, encounter in Siraha, most-wanted Pramod Yadav injured
• 13 January 2019, encounter in Rupadehi, Kedar Sahani killed
• 7 December 2018, encounter in Ratopul, Kathmandu, robber Rajan Limbu injured
• 6 August 2018, encounter at Ghyampe Danda, Bhaktapur, two kidnappers killed
• 21 June 2018, encounter at Mulpani, Kathmandu, popular robber Amar Bahadur Tamang aka Khude injured
• 11 June 2018, encounter at Sankhamul, Kathmandu, gangster Ashok Lama injured

Looking at police encounters, criminals of different ranges and levels have fallen prey to it. Snatchers, looters, hooligans, kidnappers and even murderers are the targets of police encounters. Security experts raise the concerns about several theories of conspiracy taking round when the police are locked in encounters with dreaded criminals listed as most wanted in the police record. Security experts raised their doubts on how effective is the fear of gunshots in an encounter with criminals in lowering down the crime rate in society. A retired police officer opines, “One can minimize the rate of crimes by pumping in cartridges into the body of alleged criminals. Encounter killing also kills the evidence of other related crimes as accused is already dead.”

Alleged criminals have also been found in contact of politicians, high ranking police officials and other such stakeholders in law enforcement agencies.

Hemant Malla, former DIG of Nepal Police, says the numbers of lawbreakers and hooligans have reduced significantly. Now, such activities are there in practice only in secret as police have turned vigilant and become prompt in action.