KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged for due compensation to the Chepang people whose houses were destroyed in Chitwan recently, forcing them to be displaced.

Prodding for the probe into the incident, the human rights watchdog issued a statement on Friday. It has appealed to the government to provide them shelter at the earliest and ensure their right to accommodation.

The statement issued by Commission’s Secretary Bed Prasad Bhattarai demanded action against the culprit and compensation to the families of Raj Kumar Chepang who died later.

Ten houses of the indigenous community were burnt down by the teams of Chitwan National Park to vacate the land that the Chepangs had occupied at Kusum Khola area in Madi Municipality-9 in Chitwan since 2053 BS. According to the National Park, the Chepangs were illegally occupying their land.

Two houses were put on fire while eight houses were demolished using elephants. Rajkumar Chepang who protested the action of the Park was caught by Nepal Army. He later succumbed to torture.

The Bagmati State Office of the Commission has already launched an investigation into the incident. According to the Commission, the actions as such had violated a person’s right to live a dignified life and they were bereft of social justice.