Kathmandu, January 5:

Representatives of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have discovered 14 inmates being held at two army barracks in the capital "for a long time."

The NHRC delegation was conducting its "emergency" monitoring operations at Mahavir Battalion (Ranger) and Jagadal Battalion at Chhauni in search of the persons disappeared by the state, a press release issued by the NHRC said.

According to the press statement, those being held at Jagadal Battalion are: Datta Bahadur Budha, Harichandra Budha and Bharat Pande of Jumla; Balram Chaudhari and Krishan Prasad Mainali of Kailali; Ganesh Prasad Sharma of Dailekh; Buddhiman Sarki of Dolpa; Chhaisara Sunar of Bardiya and Jit Bahadur Thapa of Palpa.

Similarly, those held at Mahavir Battalion are: Hom Prakash Shrestha of Rukum, Man Bahadur Malla of Salyan, Chakra Bahadur Thapa of Udayapur and Jaya Bahadur Gharti and Kul Bahadur Gharti of Rolpa.

The NHRC team had carried out inspections at all the buildings of the two battalions. "Most of the inmates said they had been out of contact with their family members after their arrest," the press release said.

The NHRC has documented over 848 cases of disappearances that the State is responsible for.