KATHMANDU, AUGUST 24
The National Human Rights Commission has begun investigating the August 21 incident at the Juvenile Correction Centre in Sano Thimi, Bhaktapur, where 221 minor inmates had escaped the correction centre following the death of their fellow inmate.
Issuing a press release today, the human rights watchdog said it had decided to initiate further inquiry through assessment of the incident.
Kamal Basnet, an 18-yearold inmate from Ramechhap, had passed away on August 20 under mysterious circumstances.
The inmates and Kamal's family had alleged that he died due to negligence on the part of the staff at the correction centre. The family members charged that he was badly beaten and that led to his death. The pictures of the boy showed deep blue bruises on the calf.
This event escalated tension at the children's correction centre as the inmates resorted to vandalism and launched protest. The facility houses a total of 298 children. Of them, 221 escaped the correction centre in the wake of the vandalism. Those who escaped the correction centre said they were not treated properly there. Subsequently, police apprehended a number of these children from various locations of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur.
A total of 10 individuals are still at large even four days after the incident. Spokesperson for the NHRC Tikaram Pokharel said negligence during supervision might have contributed to the unfortunate demise of the boy. Both the affected family and the remaining children at the facility have voiced concerns that the untimely deaths could have been averted with timely medical attention. According to Spokesperson Pokharel, the upcoming investigation aims to uncover the truth behind these allegations.
The centre is operated by a non-government organisation called Underprivileged Children's Educational Programmes Nepal. Since all the inmates residing here are minors, they are not supervised under the direct control of Nepal Police. No arms or batons are allowed inside the premises of the centre.
"We have requested the government to conduct an unbiased investigation and bring the erring personnel in the incident to justice. We have also asked the correction centre to improve the living conditions of children and ensure children's right to live in a fearless environment and not to allow repetition of the event," NHRC said.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 25, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
