Life Imprisonment for 23 in Soti Incident

The Rukum West District Court has delivered its final verdict in the infamous Soti case, a gruesome incident that took place three and a half years ago. The case involved the brutal murder of six individuals, including Nawaraj BK of Jajarkot, whose lives were tragically cut short on May 24, 2021.

The courtroom drama, which commenced on Sunday and concluded on Tuesday, saw intense deliberations and debates during its final hearing.

Out of the 34 individuals implicated in the Soti incident, 23 have been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In a parallel aspect of the trial, the girlfriend of the deceased, her mother, and brother were found guilty of racial discrimination in connection to the murder. They have been sentenced to two years in prison. The verdict also saw a degree of exoneration, as 8 out of the 11 individuals accused in the incident were acquitted.

The Soti case gained national attention when Nawaraj BK and 19 friends, hailing from the Dalit community, were on their way to facilitate Nawaraj’s marriage to his girlfriend from an upper-caste family. Tragically, their journey ended in a brutal assault, with the victims reportedly chased and attacked before their bodies were discovered in the Bheri River.