National 9 (Spotlight Weekly)

Crime and Punishment

Historian Triratna Manandhar traces the history of corruption by revealing how men, who received execution order, had to bribe the executor to be killed painlessly

By KESHAB POUDEL

Every country has some good and some bad incidents recorded in the past. Nepalese history has also recorded some unbelievable events where a person facing the death penalty needed to bribe so that he would be beheaded in one stroke. Such things are unbelievable to the modern and civilized world. No civilized country can imagine such barbaric actions now but it was the reality of the past Nepal.

Confessing crime and accepting verdict of death penalty was not enough for somebody. People bribed to get concession in punishment. Unfortunately, a particular person had to bribed the butcher to be beheaded in one stroke without pain with the sharp-edged sword.

At a time when every one is talking about the need to wipe out the corruption, controlling corruption seems to be a long process. The tradition of bribery has long history in Nepal and some of these practices were very strange and unbelievable.

In 1982 when then prime minister Ranodip Singh issued execution order to 21 men who were involved in the conspiracy to overthrow Rana Regime, all of them accepted execution order with confession of their role in conspiracy. But those who were executed at Patan, Bhaktapur and Kathmandu paid additional amount to butcher to be beheaded in one stroke.

All twenty-one people who were executed at different places had to bribe to die in less pain. According to a book The Years of Trouble (1877-85) written by Historian Tri Ratna Manandhar, 17 January 1882, these twenty-one rebels were executed after they confessed their plan to overthrow the Rana regime by killing then prime minister Ranodip Singh and other Ranas. Actually 80 were involved in the plan but only 21 were executed.

Earlier they had opposed Jung Bahadur but later they served under him and his brothers. Some of them boasted and prided themselves about the conspiracy, and openly expressed their regret that the attempted coup had failed.

Captain Samar Bikram Sing Thapa who was executed in Khasyang Khusung in Bhaktapur, confessed that he had not expect the death penalty just by conspiring a plot that never took place. He bribed Rs.1 to Pode (butcher) to chop his head in one stroke but eventually he needed three strokes to be fully beheaded.

Captain Faudh Sing Gurung said that his crime was not to inform the possibility of coup. He bribed Pode Rs.5 to be beheaded in one stroke and was beheaded in one stroke. Some of them did not have anything to give so they requested executor to chop the head in one stroke.

Subebar Pahalman Karki in his recorded statement said he had not done anything wrong but was accused by another and had paid Rs.1 to be beheaded in one stroke. He was beheaded in single stroke.

Captain Narabahadur Bista met tragic ending. Although he paid Rs.5 to be beheaded in one stroke, it required three strokes. Insanyen Ranadal Karki bribed Rs.12 to his butcher (Pode) to be beheaded in one final stroke.

Among those 21 who received execution order and had bribed to have their heads chopped off in one single stroke, only few were lucky enough while most of others were beheaded after being hit with sword in several strokes.

"Nepal's strangled relations with the British were largely the out come of the ambitious designs of the latter to penetrate into the Himalayan Kingdom to further her interests. The death of the strong prime minister and his succession by his weak brother provided an excellent opportunity to the British statesmen in India to advance their cause," writes historian Manandhar.

In a period of eight year before the assassination of Ranodip Singh, Nepal has faced many plots of coup and counter coup when many people were executed upon various orders.