Himalayan News Service

Nepalgunj, May 29:

A study conducted by Advocacy Forum, Nepalgunj, has revealed that over half of the arrests by police in Banke district were without any warrants. A report made public by the Forum today stated that the study conducted on 162 detainees at District Police Office, Area Police Offices and Ward Police Offices has revealed that 80 of the detainees did not get any arrest warrant while the remaining 82 received warrants only after their arrest. The study showed that 75 detainees were produced before the court within 24 hours, while and were produces only after 24 hours. According to the constitution such persons should be produced before the court within 24 hours of the arrest.

The report further says medical check ups were conducted only on 59 prisoners. It says most of the arrested persons were manhandled by police. However, 118 of the detainees denied getting police beating in custody, while 44 said they were beaten up. The study also found that four young boys were kept with adult detainees without registering the cases against them. The boys were released after the study team met them, the report says. It says even the court did not demand health certificates from the detainees and failed to find whether anyone of them was tortured in custody. The report also says some of the prisoners were interrogated in absence of government attorney.