Cyber Bureau Survives Arson As Valley Police Office Burns

Kathmandu: On 9 September, during nationwide protests and violence, the police administration was the main target of demonstrators. Angry mobs attacked police offices and employees across the country, blaming the police for a murder committed by the state. At the same time, the Kathmandu Valley Police Office in Ranipokhari, in the heart of the capital, also became a target.

The office was vandalized, set on fire, and looted. However, the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau, located about 240 meters south of the burning office, managed to avoid major damage due to the intervention of local residents.

The Cyber Bureau is a sensitive agency that investigates cybercrime cases nationwide. It houses important evidence, servers, data, and investigation files. Superintendent of Police Deepak Raj Awasthi, the bureau’s spokesperson, was in the office that day. He recalled, “I was giving an interview to a radio station at 1 pm. As soon as the interview on cybercrime against women and children ended, a crowd had already gathered outside.”

Following morning instructions, the bureau had kept 40 policemen in uniform on standby, anticipating the need for extra support at any time. But the situation suddenly escalated. “After the situation changed, instructions came from above to ‘be safe.’ Then we changed the uniformed policemen back into civilian clothes,” Awasthi said.

“We are an investigative agency, we don’t even have weapons. Most of us are in civilian clothes,” he explained, stressing that the bureau was not in a position to resist a chaotic crowd.

Around 2 pm, after the mob set fire to the Valley Police Office, they moved toward the Cyber Bureau. Based on prior warnings, bureau employees had already been safely evacuated one by one, and the office was closed. A few policemen monitored the situation from outside using communication sets. When the mob attempted to attack and set fire to the bureau building, local residents stood as a shield.

They knew that if the building caught fire, it could engulf the dense and historic Asan settlement. The locals warned the mob: “If you burn this building, you burn our houses. If a fire starts here, the entire Asan Bazaar will be destroyed. There is no one inside, and nothing to be gained by burning it.”

The houses in Asan are closely connected, and even a small fire could spread through the entire old city. This argument, along with the fear of losing their homes and businesses, forced the protesters to retreat.

Had the attackers succeeded, the country’s cybersecurity efforts would have suffered irreparable damage. “Our office contained servers, internal applications, sensitive data, investigation files, and digital devices kept as evidence,” Awasthi told TechPana. “If all that had been destroyed, the investigation process would have collapsed.”

Four of the bureau’s vehicles, parked at the Valley Police Office, were completely burned in the arson attack. However, thanks to the presence of mind of local residents, the Cyber Bureau building, considered highly sensitive and lacking defensive capability, along with equipment and evidence worth lakhs of rupees, was saved.

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असोज ५, २०८२ १३:४

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