KATHMANDU: A high-level inquiry commission led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki has found serious lapses in evidence preservation following the violent clashes during the Gen-Z protests of September 08, 2025.

According to the commission’s report obtained by Nepal News, security forces used lethal force during the September 8 confrontation in Baneshwar. However, critical forensic evidence-including spent ammunition and shells-was neither properly recorded nor preserved.

“The clash between protesters and security forces at Baneshwar on September 8 involved the use of lethal force. After the incident, the spent ammunition and shells should have been recorded and preserved as evidence. However, no such record appears to exist,” the report states.

The commission noted that the failure to secure evidence may have stemmed from the volatile situation in Baneshwar, where tensions persisted until late evening, forcing authorities to prioritize crowd control over forensic procedures. At the same time, it raised concerns that evidence may have been deliberately neglected due to fears it could later be used against security personnel.

The findings point to potential procedural violations and raise broader questions about accountability and transparency in the handling of force during the protests.