A commission probing Nepal’s September Gen Z protests has found that the National Investigation Department (NID) failed to accurately assess the scale of the demonstrations, leading to inadequate security preparations. The inquiry report led by Karki said the NID estimated only 3,000-5,000 protesters would gather in Kathmandu on Sept. 8, prompting other security agencies to scale down their deployment. Officials later told the commission that the flawed intelligence contributed to lax arrangements as turnout far exceeded projections. The panel criticised NID chief Hutraj Thapa for professional lapses, noting he cited lack of technology and skilled manpower to monitor social media mobilisation on platforms such as TikTok, X and YouTube. The report said the agency also failed to warn the government after a late-night decision to lift a social media ban, which was followed by widespread violence and looting on Sept. 9. Former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli told the commission he was not directly responsible for field-level intelligence and said the Home Ministry handled operational decisions. He also alleged that infiltrators, not original protesters, were responsible for excesses during the unrest.