KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has revived the Gaur massacre case, in which 28 Maoist cadres were killed 19 years ago at the rice mill grounds in Gaur, Rautahat. The court’s order to proceed with the case has put Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) chair Upendra Yadav under renewed legal and political pressure.
A joint bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Nityananda Pandey issued a *mandamus* order on Monday in response to a petition filed by Tribhuvan Sah, who had named the Rautahat District Police Office and the District Government Attorney’s Office as respondents. The order directs authorities to initiate legal proceedings against those linked to the case. Former Maoist leader and current Aam Janata Party chair Prabhu Sah confirmed the development.
On March 21, 2007 (Chaitra 7, 2063 BS), 28 Maoist cadres were killed in what became known as the Gaur massacre. They were attacked and chased down at the rice mill grounds, reportedly by cadres of the then Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF), which was leading the Madhes movement at the time.
Upendra Yadav, then chair of the MJF, is accused by Maoists and human rights organizations of bearing direct responsibility for the killings, which were carried out with spears, knives, sticks, and firearms. The incident occurred during the Madhes movement, when Yadav’s party was protesting against the Interim Constitution.
With the Supreme Court’s order, Yadav now faces renewed scrutiny over his alleged role in one of the most violent political incidents of Nepal’s post-conflict period.
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