A STUDY OF DEATH DUE TO TERRORISM IN EASTERN NEPAL. Dr. Manoj Kumar Department of Forensic Medicine Institute of Medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University VARANASI

INTRODUCTION Terrorism is defined as unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments often for ideological or political reason. At present terrorism is biggest threat to the World and peaceful Himalayan kingdom of Nepal is also not an exception to this. In Nepal terrorism is due to Maoist activity who have been referred as terrorist.

Due to terrorism, the poor country is suffering from tremendous loss in the field of economic status, education, human rights, tourism and many more sectors. Above 9000 people have been killed due to terrorism till date, which includes security person, Maoists and also civilians. The weapons used were firearm and hence during encounter chances of survival was very low.

OBJECTIVE 1. To find out incidence of death due to terrorism. 2.To find out socio-demography of the victim. 3.To find out injury pattern of the victim. 4.To find out relation between survival period and weapon used.

MATERIALS AND METHOD Present study is a retrospective study done with the help of register filed and autopsy report record of Department of Forensic Medicine, B.P.K.I.H.S., Dharan, Nepal. It comprised 35 cases which were mainly from Sunsari, Dhankuta Bhojpur and other adjoining district of eastern Nepal. The obtained data has been presented in the form of various tables and stastistical method employed in data analyses is the percentage method.

TABLE –1:Age of the victim. Age Range _____________ >50 Not known _____________ Total Number _____________ _____________ 35 Percentage _____________ 03% 34% 37% 06% 00% 20% _____________ 100%

TABLE-2: Sex of Victim. Sex Male Female Total Number Percentage % 03% %

TABLE-3: Address of attack spot. Districts Dhankuta Sunsari Bhojpur Shankuwasava Siraha Jhapa Morang Udaipur Mahottari Terathum Total Number Percentage 11% 62% 06% 03% 100%

TABLE-4: Person dead belongs to. Person dead Army Police Maoist Civil Total Number Percentage 91% 03% 06% 100%

TABLE-5: Weapon used. Type of Weapon Gun Bomb Sharp- Weapon Total Number Percentage 48% 46% 6% 100%

TABLE-6: Mode of Death. Mode Coma Syncope Coma & Syncope Total Number Percentage 20% 71% 09% 100%

TABLE-7: Survival period. Duration Instant Death Within hour Days to weeks Total Number Percentage 91% 00% 9% 100%

TABLE-8: Injury and region involved. Region Head & Neck Chest Abdomen Upper Limb Lower Limb Number Percentage 34% 46% 34% 03%

TABLE-9: Type of weapon and period of survival. Weapon used Gun Bomb Sharp Weapon Number/ Percentage Number/ Percentage Number/ Percentage Instant Death 15 90% 14 88% 01 50% Within hour 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Days to weeks 02 10% 02 10% 01 50%

TABLE-10: Person dead and weapon used. Person Dead Army/ Police Maoist Civil No./ %tage No./ %tage No./ %tage Gun 16 51% % 0 0% Bomb 15 44% 0 0% % Sharp Weapon 01 05% 0 0% 0 0%

CONCLUSION Our study revealed that there is increased incidence of terrorist activities these days, as 35 victims out of 243 cases reported in the mortuary of Department of Forensic Medicine, B.P.K.I.H.S., Dharan, Nepal, whereas a result of terrorism during year This is an alarming and unfortunate picture of present situation in the country. There is hardly any single disease which has such a high mortality rate 15%, as that of terrorism. The certainty of death in the terrorist attack was due to use of modern and advanced firearm weapons and involvement of regions containing vital organs.

RECOMMENDATIONS *Most of the Maoist victims belong to the productive age group. *The growing problem of unemployment might be responsible for this ironical data. *An increment in the availability of employment to majority of the population can drastically reduced the toll of death due to terrorism.

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