Towards the end of his simple living and high thinking life, Kamal Mani Dixit had to witness the arbitrary head of an arbitrary agency relentlessly hound his family. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arbitrarily targeted his sons, the human rights activist Kanak Mani Dixit and journalist Kunda Dixit. Even though both have been cleared by the Supreme Court, at his age the mental anguish weakened Kamal Mani physically, and pushed him to his deathbed. The injustice probably had an adverse impact on the health of someone who had lived such a long, upright and simple life. Lokman Singh Karki, the person who ordered the investigations, has now himself been removed as head of the CIAA by the Supreme Court.
Kamal Mani Dixit was not the first to fall victim to the CIAA’s arbitrary persecution. Politician Rabindranath Sharma died of the anxiety caused by a CIAA investigation, as did the wives of former Home Secretary Padam Pokhrel and Former Police Chief Motilal Bohara. Secretary Dinesh Chandra Pyakurel and the wife of Chiranjivi Wagle both committed suicide. The mother-in-law of Govinda Raj Joshi died. The wife of Police Inspector General Achyut Karel did not survive the CIAA’s torment. Former officials of the NEA and NTB are suffering psychological distress due to delays in obstaining justice. A few months ago the former head of the NTB and another functionary died of heart attacks. Both had been targeted by the CIAA last year. Who is responsible for the mental torture and physical harm on the health of someone of the stature of Kamal Mani Dixit? Who will atone for his death?