Kathmandu, May 29

Ganga Maya Adhikari of Fujel, Gorkha, launched a fast-unto-death at Bir Hospital today, demanding the arrest of those guilty of her son Krishna Prasad’s murder.

At a press meet organised at the hospital, she said she would continue her hunger strike until Chhabilal Poudel, his son Parshuram Poudel and nephew Bhimsen Poudel, Ram Prasad Adhikari and Januka Poudel, who have been accused of murdering Krishna Prasad during the Maoist insurgency on June 6, 2004, were arrested.

“Innocent citizens are being tortured while murderers are getting political protection,” she said. She also said that Chhabilal Poudel, the main accused, was roaming freely and the government had failed to arrest him.

“Even those accused of heinous crimes are being protected by political parties,” said Charan Prasai, a human rights activist.

This is the third time Ganga Maya is staging fast-unto-death to put pressure on the government to fulfil her demand. Adhikari and her husband, Nanda Prasad, had first begun their hunger strike in front of the prime minister’s official residence in Baluwatar in January 2013.

They launched their second hunger strike the following month and ended it on the 47th day after an agreement with the government, which included action on the First Information Report against some suspects, including Parshuram Paudel. But, they were released later.

Nanda Prasad died on September 22, 2014 after 329 days of fast-unto-death at the hospital.

Even after losing her husband, Ganga Maya had continued her hunger strike for a total of 360 days until the government signed a five-point deal with her in October 2015.

Nanda Prasad’s body is still at Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. The Adhikari family has been refusing to receive the body.