Nepali youth dies from gunshot wounds sustained in Kaptanganj clashes, third victim

Rabindra Kumar Mehta, a 21-year-old Nepali student, died on Tuesday from injuries sustained ten days prior when he was shot during clashes in Kaptanganj, Sunsari.

Mehta had dedicated months to memorizing Korean vocabulary, determined to pass the language proficiency test on his second attempt and help his struggling family escape poverty. His death has ignited fresh grief and anger among his relatives, who have refused to claim his body and are demanding accountability from the government. Home Minister Sudan Gurung visited the hospital to engage in talks with the family.

For Rabindra's parents, Bijay Mehta and Bimala Devi Mehta, who relied on small-scale vegetable farming, their only son's loss leaves an irreplaceable void. With two elder daughters married and a younger daughter at home, Rabindra was the family's primary hope for a better future. Witnessing his parents' financial hardships, he decided to seek employment in South Korea through the Employment Permit System.

He failed the language test on his first try but remained resolute, assuring his parents he would prepare more diligently for the next round. His dream was that working in South Korea would transform his family's circumstances. This aspiration was shattered on July 26 when clashes erupted between two local groups in Kaptanganj. Security personnel fired shots to restore order, and Rabindra was hit in the left thigh, damaging a major blood vessel.

Initially treated at Birat Nursing Home in Biratnagar, his condition worsened due to complications, leading to his airlift to Kathmandu. Doctors at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital advised amputation to prevent infection spread, a procedure his parents consented to. However, the infection progressed, causing severe sepsis and multiple organ failure. Despite intensive care, Rabindra succumbed to his injuries. His death brings the total toll from the Dewanganj violence to three, with several others injured.