Lawmakers seek probe into Ram Manohar Yadav's custodial death

Kathmandu, September 5

Lawmakers today demanded that the government form judicial and parliamentary investigation committees to investigate the custodial death of Ram Manohar Yadav, a resident of Janaki Rural Municipality in Banke district.

Yadav was arrested on August 23 for waving black flag at Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Upendra Yadav.

Yadav died while undergoing treatment at TU Teaching Hospital on Saturday.

Lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal expressed concern about Yadav’s death in the House of Representatives today.

Police had charged Yadav under sedition laws.

NC lawmakers Amresh Kumar Singh, Bharat Kumar Shah and Tejulal Chaudhary and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna demanded that a high-level parliamentary investigation committee be formed to investigate Yadav’s death.

Speaking during special hour in the House today, Singh said Yadav’s death in police custody was indicative of serious negligence on the part of the government, and therefore, the incident should be probed by a judicial committee and guilty police officers punished.

“By arresting someone the government authorities take responsibility to save the detainee’s life, but here a detainee was killed in custody,” he said. He added that a judicial body, and not a relevant department, should investigate the death. He also demanded compensation for the victim’s family.

Shah said it was blatant violation of democratic principles to detain somebody just for waving black flag at a minister. He added, “A probe should be launched to find out the truth.”

RJP-Nepal lawmaker Karna demanded that the home minister apprise the House about the incident. He said police were part of the government and the government was thus responsible for Yadav’s death.

“The government has killed somebody who showed black flag to a minister,” Karna added. He said lawmakers had been asking questions about Yadav’s death but the home minister was not responding.

MC lawmaker Chaudhary wondered whether Nepalis were living in a democracy or an autocratic system? “How can a government with two-third majority arrest someone for waving a black flag at a minister and put him in custody?” He said the incident should be probed thoroughly to ascertain the cause of Yadav’s death.

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