KATHMANDU: Asian Human Rights Commisions (AHRC) on Thursday questioned the professionalism of Nepal Police following the detention of five people of a family for 40 days to be used as baits to arrest an alleged murderer.

According to the AHRC, the incident is "another example of lack of professionalism along with improper scientific investigation tools and criminal justice institutions."

On March 14, police had detained family members of Ajeev Budha Magar (21), an abscondee who has been charged on a murder case, at the Women Rehabilitation Home, Bardiya.

Ajeev’s mother Tulasa Budha (51), his elder sister Manju Thapa, nephew Prashant Thapa, wife Namrata Thapa (18) and his three-year-old son Sishir Budha were first held at Thakurdwara Police Office and later transferred to the Bhurigaun Police Office, according to the Hong Kong-based human rights organisation.

The AHRC has expressed its concern as the children have been deprived of education and also their loss of property and livestock in the meantime caused further problems.

The AHRC has requested police for their release at the earliest to secure their human rights and use other methods, but not them, as baits to catch Ajeev.

The AHRC informed it had already written letters to the Chairperson of UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention requesting the same.

On this regard, the AHRC has even urged people to write to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Minister for Home Affairs Shakti Bahadur Basnet, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Anup Raj Sharma, the Office of Attorney General and Inspector General of Police Upendra Kant Aryal for necessary action against the police officers.

It informed the victims already had written to the District Bar and the Advocacy Forum requesting their assistance to ensure their release from the illegal detention.

Police Inspector Suresh Malla of the Litigation Section in DPO, according to the AHRC, however, claimed that they were being kept there for security reasons.

Ajeev was arrested on February 18 for allegedly murdering Jora Singh Thapa and had fled from the Bardiya District Court when police took him for remand.