KATHMANDU: Following the Gen-Z protests on September 8 and 9, which saw dozens of court buildings, including the Supreme Court, set on fire and thousands of case files destroyed, a “Janadalat” banner has appeared in Lalitpur, raising fresh concerns about the rule of law.
The banner, posted near Bagalamukhi Temple, replicates the so-called people’s courts previously run by Maoists during their decade-long insurgency. It invites citizens to seek justice for cases involving cooperatives, microfinance, banks, or other government offices.
Advocate Krishna Mahar, who shared images of the banner on social media, expressed alarm, saying, “Such displays indicate weakening of the legal system and growing impunity. Citizens may start feeling a state absence, which is a serious challenge for governance.”
Contacting the number on the banner, reporters spoke with a person identifying himself as K. Lenin, claiming to be a former Maoist cadre. He said the group includes lawyers who will handle cases swiftly and fairly, without violence, and that they can mediate disputes nationwide, from district courts to the Supreme Court.
“Unlike government courts, we aim to provide fast-track resolution and take both parties into account,” the person said. He added that the group has around 10,000 members and seeks to continue the service of their “people’s courts” model in today’s context.
The appearance of such banners comes months after fires destroyed files in cases involving high-profile politicians, including leaders from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Congress, and UML, highlighting lingering unrest and challenges to formal judicial processes.
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