Kathmandu, September 27

Human Rights Organisation of Nepal today said the government should thoroughly investigate the then police officers who botched up the preliminary investigation into Nirmala murder case.

HURON also made public its preliminary report on its site investigation, suggesting to the government to thoroughly investigate police officers — Superintendent of Police Dilli Raj Bista, Deputy  Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Sethi and Inspector Ekendra Khadka —  and Rosani Bam and Babita Bam who were the last persons to see Nirmala and from whose house Nirmala had gone missing.

Similarly, it has also sought investigation into Nirmala’s maternal uncle Tirtha Raj, who allegedly forced the victim’s family to accept Nirmala’s body a couple of days after it was found.

Talking to THT over phone, HURON general secretary Mahamuniswor Acharya said, “We strongly believe that if the police thoroughly investigate the accused, the murder case can be solved easily.” He claimed that the government was protecting the accused.

The report states that the transfer of police officials who botched up the investigation was suspicious.

It further stated that government authorities deliberately destroyed evidences at the place where Nirmala’s body was found, tortured innocent people, tried to suppress the investigation with the use of excessive force against demonstrators. The report has also accused the government of politicising the crime.

The report also made public the names of seven persons who were tortured by police in custody. Two of them are still undergoing treatment in Kathmandu. One of them has lost his foot and is still unconscious.

HURON president Indra Prasad Aryal, general secretary Acharya, and Kanchanpur president of the organisation Tribhuvan Kumar Bhatta had conducted investigation into the case. Over 40 people were interviewed in the process.

Thirteen-year-old Nirmala Panta of Bhimdatta Municipality, Kanchanpur, was reported missing on July 26 and her body was found in a sugarcane field the next day.

Home minister’s remarks flayed

KATHMANDU: Rights activists have condemned Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa’s statement in the meeting of State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Minister Thapa had said ‘capitalism has encouraged rape’ in the country.

President of Human Right Organisation of Nepal Indra Prasad Aryal said, “The home minister’s statement shows how the government is desperately trying to avoid the issue of growing violence against women in the country.” Mohana Ansari, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, said it was as farcical to assume that women did not face violence in a socialist country. “It is absolutely unfortunate for Nepalis to hear such remarks from the home minister.”