Kathmandu, February 17:

Harka Bahadur Karki is in Kathmandu to garner help to free his son, who was abducted from the capital and was found at an Itahari-based army barracks. “Despite a Supreme Court order, the army refused to release my son,” Karki said.

“For the last time, I saw my son on February 1 in Itahari barracks, with bruises and swelling. Two days later, the army said it did not know anything about him,” said Karki, father of a 26-year-old student, Bimarsha Raj Karki alias Ganesh, a resident of Jugu VDC of Dolkha.

Security personnel in civil dress had arrested Bimarsha from his residence in Gothatar on September 19. The relatives found out a month later that Bimarsha was detained in the barracks at Itahari, thanks to the National Human Rights Commission.

The parents filed a case at the Supreme Court which ordered his release. But the army refused to release Bimarsha.

They filed another case at the Biratnagar Appellate Court which ordered that the person be produced in the court on February 15.

Responding to the court order, the District Police Office of Biratnagar stated that the person had been released and handed over to Gyanendra Adhikari after Pashupati Acharya took the initiative for release.

But the father said, “As my son was not handed over to me when I was present, the police claim is false. He was not released and the persons named by the police are fictitious.”