Kathmandu, March 1:

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has expressed its deep concern over the “constant death threats” a police officer is facing from his superiors. Threats and harassment against sub-inspector Hom Bahadur Bagale intensified after he knocked court’s door against his superiors, the rights watchdog said. It has urged the authorities to investigate the matter and bring the guilty to book.

Bagale, 41, a technical officer at the Central Police Band Gulma Maharajganj, was reportedly detained and tortured by his senior officers in November 2002. He had to go through the ordeal because “he refused to do the work which he felt was not within his scope of duty as a police officer,” said an AHRC statement.

Bagale has filed two torture cases against his perpetrators. The cases are currently pending at the Patan Appellate Court and the Supreme Court. “The victim has reported that he has been receiving countless death threats for the last couple of months due to his legal actions and he has been pressured by his superiors to resign from his post as a police officer,” said the AHRC.

On February 8, a group of around six men in civilian clothes visited Bagale’s house and asked his wife his whereabouts. When the victim heard of the visit by the plainclothes men, Bagale stayed away from his home fearing for his life.

“Their threats have been reinforced by a letter sent to the victim from the legal department of the police station, asking him to either withdraw his two cases or resign,” the statement said. “There is fear that the death threats will intensify as the date of his hearing on March 5 approaches. Therefore, the victim should get protection immediately,” it said.

On November 23, 2002, Khadka Singh Gurung, the DSP and chief of the office, had ordered Bagale to complete a personal errand, in which Bagale had to fetch some gold from the airport. When Bagale refused, saying the task was not a part of his duty, he was detained illegally and subjected to torture by police officials, the statement said.

Bagale’s wife Binda had filed a habeas corpus petition at the Appellate Court on behalf of her husband.

On his release, Bagale filed a case for compensation against his perpetrators at the Kathmandu District Court.

The victim also lodged another case before the Patan Appellate Court on February 24, 2003 demanding actions against the perpetrators. Since the court’s decision too went in favour of the defendants, Bagale also appealed to the Supreme Court.