Ganesh Nepali was fined 1,000 rupees. It cost him his life

Ganesh Nepali, a 25-year-old ride-hail driver, died at Bir Hospital after setting himself on fire outside the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar. His death, roughly 22 hours after the incident, has ignited a public debate in Nepal about the struggles of poverty and the responsiveness of city officials.

Despite visits from Cabinet ministers, assurances from the prime minister's secretariat regarding treatment costs, and an aircraft on standby for medical evacuation, Nepali's severe burns proved fatal. Doctors at Bir Hospital stated that burns covering over 55 percent of his body significantly reduced his chances of survival in a resource-limited country.

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The wounds were so severe, burns covered over 55 percent of his body. In a resource-limited country like ours, the chances of survival drop sharply once burns stretch over 40 percent.

The incident echoes past events, with opposition lawmakers referencing a post by current Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who, as mayor three years prior, criticized the state's failures in a similar self-immolation case. Nepali, who had moved to Kathmandu from Mugu district and recently mortgaged family land to buy his motorcycle on installments, had turned to ride-hailing after finding no work with his agriculture degree.

According to police, the dispute began when Nepali stopped to wait for a ride near the passport department. A municipal police officer instructed him to move, leading to a confrontation where Nepali's motorcycle was wheel-locked. CCTV footage reportedly shows Nepali objecting to being targeted while parked.

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there's no work for poor people with that degree, so he bought a bike and started riding for Pathao.