Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 21:

Two separate habeas corpus petitions were filed today at the Supreme Court, challenging the arrest of child rights worker Gauri Pradhan and six student leaders of the CPN-UML affiliated student organisation ANNFSU.

Pradhan’s wife Sumnima and Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) have jointly filed the petition against government authorities, accusing them of illegally detaining Pradhan.

Krishna Hari Bhatta filed a separate petition on behalf of ANNFSU, seeking the release of the student leaders — general secretary of ANNFSU Om Prasad Aryal, treasurer Lochan KC, members of the secretariat Mahesh Devkota and Dilli Ram Bohara, and central committee member Jyoti Sharma. Ministers of Home and Defe-nce, Nepal Police headquarters, Kathmandu District Administration Office (KDAO) and Kathmandu District Police Office Hanumandhoka (KDPOH) are defendants in the cases. Pradhan, chairman of several organisations including Child Workers in Nepal and vice-president of Child Works in Asia, was arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport on February 17. He was returning home from Italy after participating in an International Council Meeting of Global March.

In Pradhan’s case, according to the petitioners the authorities are yet to provide any kind of detention notice to him. The petitioners have claimed that government authorities have violated Pradhan’s rights envisaged under Articles 11, 12(1), 14(4)(5) and (6) guaranteed by the constitution of 1990. The petitioners have sought the apex court’s order to the authorities to produce Pradhan before the court.

According to petitioner Bhatta, the student leaders are being kept in preventive detention at the Hanuman Dhoka District Police Office after they were arrested on February 3. The authorities have charged them with being a threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the state and public security. Kathmandu CDO Baman Prasad Neupane gave a 90-day detention notice to them.