Contents of the report of the panel that probed Nirmala rape and murder show the state has done zilch to nab the perpetrator(s)

A rape and murder. More than 70 days. A 37-page report after investigation that ran for almost two months. The outcome: zilch. This shows what a sorry pass Nepal’s state of affairs has come to. Two weeks after a government committee formed to investigate into Nirmala Panta rape and murder presented its report to Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, the government on Sunday made it public. The 37-page report is just a compilation of interviews done with the suspects and exhaustive details of no importance at all. It points to the botched investigation by the Kanchanpur police. That there were serious lapses on the part of “investigators” from the very beginning is what all the report says. All in all, even more than two months after the rape and murder of the 13-year-old girl, neither the state nor the law enforcement agency knows who actually perpetrated the crime.

In the last two months it has become already clear that the police department did an extremely shoddy job. What the public wanted to know from the investigation was who raped and murdered the 13-year-old girl. This report, prepared by a so-called high-level panel led by a joint secretary, has only buttressed the theory that there never was an earnest intent to solve the crime and that the entire investigation was but a subterfuge to pool the wool over the public’s eyes, to cover up the crime and to protect the criminals who seem to be close to some powerful people. The state has failed Nirmala, her parents and all those who have been clamouring for justice and rule of law.

Home Minister Thapa and police chief Sarbendra Khanal have made a bungling of immense proportions. And the state has remained a mute spectator to all the shenanigans. Why did Home Minister Thapa make misleading statements before the sovereign Parliament? Why was the report kept under wraps for two long weeks? Why did the prime minister speak with sympathy for the Bam sisters (Babita and Roshani) when they were rounded up for questioning? Did it influence the probe? Why did police parade an innocent man as the “main accused”? Did police destroy the evidence at anyone’s behest? Why the fake signature and thumb impression of Nirmala’s father were affixed? There are many questions that still remain unanswered? It’s a shame on the government that it has not been able to resolve the rape and murder of an innocent girl even after more than two months. The government panel’s investigation seemsdirected towards protecting some police officials rather than finding the truth and bringing the guilty to book. Recommendation for departmental action against some cops is too little too late. The state’s duty does not end just by putting out a report, it has to take full responsibility of finding out the truth and telling it to the public, protecting its citizens and ensuring justice to them. The report is nothing but a prevarication. It’s a bundle of good many tarradiddles. It simply perverts the truth. This is unacceptable. If the state fails to ensure justice to Nirmala, it will be tantamount to promoting the culture of impunity. The government must bear in mind that its legitimacy comes from its ability to guarantee justice to the citizens.

Reproductive right

Reproductive right is a human right. The Constitution of Nepal has guaranteed women’s right to reproductive health. Article 38 (2) of the constitution states: Every woman shall have the right to safe motherhood and reproductive health. But it’s sad that majority of women from the marginalised communities have not been able to enjoy this constitutional right. There are various reasons for this. Firstly, there is a lack of access to family planning services. And even if there is availability of these services, there are social and family barriers.

While there is a need of expanding family planning services, the state agencies also must launch massive awareness campaigns—not only for women but also for men and other family members—on sexual and reproductive health. In some communities, there is tendency among women to use contraceptives without letting the husbands know. This could result in health complications. Sexual and reproductive health and rights are the key to gender equality. Everyone must understand sexual and reproductive health is also about women empowerment and sustainable development.