• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About DNS
  • Subscribe to DNS
  • Advertise with DNS
  • Support DNS
  • Contact DNS

Disability News Service

the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues

  • Home
  • Independent Living
    • Arts, Culture and Sport
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Housing
    • Transport
  • Activism & Campaigning
  • Benefits & Poverty
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
You are here: Home / News Archive / London 2012: Paralympic Village death of Nepali disabled activist sparks probes

London 2012: Paralympic Village death of Nepali disabled activist sparks probes

By John Pring on 2nd October 2012 Category: News Archive

Listen

Activists in Nepal are calling for a full investigation into the death of a disabled member of the Nepal National Paralympic Committee (NPC), whose body was found hanging inside the Paralympic Village.

Man Bahadur Lopchan, who played a major part in establishing the Paralympic movement in Nepal, was found in a room in the village in the early hours of 11 September, less than 36 hours after the London 2012 closing ceremony.

He was taken by ambulance to the Royal London Hospital, but had fallen into a coma and is believed to have died a week later, although the hospital has been unable to confirm any details.

Police who attended the scene have so far treated his death as “non-suspicious”, but friends, disabled colleagues and relatives of Lopchan, a leading figure in several Nepali disabled people’s organisations, want full investigations in both Nepal and Britain.

Nepalese authorities are also believed to be investigating the disappearance of two members of their London 2012 delegation, who failed to arrive at the airport for their flight home from the UK last month.

In a statement, Lopchan’s son, Santa, said the family only found out about his father’s death through an article in a Nepali newspaper.

He said his father had phoned his family in Nepal during the Paralympics and told them that he believed his life was in danger.

He said: “How could it be possible for a wheelchair-user to hang on the rope whereas he needs at least two personal attendants to move from his wheelchair?”

An International Paralympic Committee (IPC) spokesman said they were aware of concerns around Lopchan’s death and the Nepali delegation, but that “at the moment there is no reason to suspend the Nepal NPC”.

He said the IPC did not know how many, if any, members of the Nepali delegation had so far failed to return to Nepal.

He said: “We are trying to gather the whole facts. We are writing a letter to the NPC, saying give us your side of the case. At the moment, we have a lot of people saying different things.

“Technically, the members who have disappeared have done nothing wrong. The accreditation that they had meant they can stay in the UK until 4 November. At the moment they are not illegally in the UK until 4 November.”

But he said the IPC also wanted to know why the Nepali delegation had left the UK when Lopchan was still lying in a coma in hospital.

He said: “If they knew this had happened, why did they all depart [the country]? He wasn’t dead on the day they left, because he was in a coma for quite a while.”

A spokesman for the Nepali embassy in London said they had been in contact with the police and the London 2012 organising committee LOCOG about Lopchan’s death.

He said: “Obviously the embassy is concerned about this. If something is going on, if somebody claims something, we obviously want to know the truth. It should be investigated by the police and we are ready to support them.”

He said embassy staff had read in a Nepali newspaper that some of the members of the Nepal NPC might be missing, but added: “We tried to find out [but couldn’t]. We don’t have any information about persons missing or not.”

He said the embassy had not spoken to the Nepal NPC about the claims.

The Metropolitan police said in a statement: “The inquest into the death will be heard at Waltham Forest Coroners Court.

“All evidence will be heard in court and we would encourage the family to contact us, the Coroners Court or their Embassy regarding any concerns which they have.”

A LOCOG spokesman said its insurers had liaised with Lopchan’s family to make arrangements for the repatriation of his body, which would happen “imminently”, and added: “Our thoughts are with the family.”

He said: “We are not aware that any Nepal NPC officials or members are unaccounted for. This would be a matter for the Home Office.”

A spokeswoman for the coroner confirmed that an inquest into Lopchan’s death was opened and adjourned on 24 September.

A Home Office spokesman said it did not comment on individual immigration cases.

18 October 2012

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on WhatsAppShare on RedditShare on LinkedIn
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Related

‘Muddled’ blue badge reforms ‘are to blame for renewal delays’
6th February 2015
UN debate will be reminder of true inclusive education
6th February 2015
IDS breaks pledge on PIP waiting-times, as tens of thousands still queue for months
30th January 2015

Primary Sidebar

On the left of the image are multiple heads of different colours - white, aqua, red, light brown, and dark green - all grouped together, then the words ‘Campaign for Disability Justice. Sign up to support. #OpportunitySecurityRespect’
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Access

Latest Stories

Disabled MP who quit government over benefit cuts tells DNS: ‘The consequences will be devastating’

Disabled peers plan to ‘amend, amend, amend, amend, amend’ after assisted dying bill reaches Lords

Minister finally admits that working-age benefits spending is stable, despite months of ‘spiralling’ claims

This bill opens the door to scandal, abuse and injustice, disabled activists say after assisted dying bill vote

Timms says cuts must go ahead, despite being reminded of risk that disabled claimants could die

Absence of disabled people’s voices from assisted dying bill has been ‘astonishing’, says disabled MP

Timms misleads MPs on DWP transparency and cover-ups, as he gives evidence on PIP review

Ministers are considering further extension to disability hate crime laws, after pledge on ‘aggravated’ offences

Making all self-driving pilot schemes accessible would be ‘counter-productive’ and slow us down, says minister

Involve disabled people ‘meaningfully’ from the start when developing digital assistive tech, says report

Advice and Information

Readspeaker
A photograph shows an audience raising their hands in a BSL sign. The words say: 'BSL Conference 2025. The future starts with us. Leeds 17-18 July. Be part of shaping the future of Deaf cultures and identities. Get 10% off with BDA10'

Footer

The International Standard Serial Number for Disability News Service is: ISSN 2398-8924

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site map
  • Bluesky
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2025 Disability News Service

Site development by A Bright Clear Web