Lamjung, May 24:

The laws of the land do not allow anyone to throw mentally retarted persons behind bars, but Nareshwor Thapa (17), a mental patient from Khudi Tarpu-1, has been locked up in the Lamjung District Police Office (DPO).

Thapa has been imprisoned just because his parents had asked the police to lock him up for two months following his offensive behaviour.

Nareshwor, who has been sleeping in a small room of the District Police Office, said, “I am being detained here for two months. I don’t think I have done anything wrong to be locked up here like this”.

Thapa has already spent about five months in prison for mistreating and abusing women and for other insane behaviour. However, his family members, instead of making arrangements for his treatment, have allowed police to lock him up.

Nareshwor’s father Majur Bahadur and villagers, following an agreement, asked the police to lock up Naresh in the DPO for two months.

A police constable said Naresh’s father was bearing the expenses for his food. “We locked up Nareshwor as his father wrote to us asking his son be put behind bars,” he said, adding, “We still have the application.”

“No one has the right to detain anyone if he is not guilty,” government lawyer Ram Ghimire said, adding, “If one has committed any crime, he should be presented in a court within 24 hours of the arrest”.