Siraha girl who was raped and forced to drink toilet cleaner dies at Bir Hospital: WOREC

KATHMANDU: A teenager who was taken hostage, raped and forced to drink toilet cleaner in April died on Sunday (August 1), the Women's Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) said.

The victim worked as a dishwasher at the Rakesh Hotel and Lodge in Lahan of Siraha district and was raped on April 25 and forced to drink Harpic by her hostage-taker.

"After we found out about the incident we immediately went to file a case of rape, hostage-taking and murder attempt," Women's Human Rights Protection Network's Renu Karna said at a press conference here in Kathmandu. "But police refused to register our complaint. They asked us to file complaint on only attempted murder citing the period for filing case on rape had passed and that there was lack of evidences to support the case of hostage scenario."

Although the complaint explicitly quoted Nathuni Saha, the proprietor of the hotel, the police refused to accept our complaint, she charged. "When we saw that the victim could not be treated there, we brought her to Kathmandu and her treatment started from June 30 at Bir Hospital and the doctors told us there was an urgency for operation," she said. "As we did not have money we collected funds from individuals, and her condition improved after operation but she died on August 1."

The doctors involved in the victim's treatment said the acid in the Harpic gradually infected her lungs and liver, according to WOREC.

The teenager died before she could give her statement to Siraha police that were on their way to the capital city from Lahan, said WOREC Programme Coordinator Pratima Sharma.

The perpetrator has been identified as Binod Basnet. He is currently under police control.

Network's Karna said she was under mounting pressure from local politicians in the area to withdraw the case.