Relatives of 25-year-old Janak Budha, who was accused in a rape case in Adanchuli Rural Municipality-2, have alleged that he was subjected to police brutality. The incident in question took place on September 5 when Janak Budha, currently detained in Purpaksa, was reportedly beaten by the police.
The incident occurred following the arrest and detention of five individuals involved in gambling activities in Simkot Bazar, the district headquarters, on September 9. Janak Budha, raised concerns about overcrowded sleeping conditions, as the arrested detainees were kept with him in a same cell. According to his elder sister, the police retaliated against his brother with violence ,his ear and head were injured during this altercation.
Subsequently, after the alleged beating of her brother in police custody, the case was taken back to court. On September 6, when the sister attempted to inquire about the reasons behind her brother’s mistreatment, she claimed that the police threatened her, stating that she would not be allowed to enter the police office premises or visit her brother.
Following the sister’s complaint about the police beating incident, the district court ordered an examination of the victim’s injuries on September 7. Kamal Kumar Acharya reported that this order was promptly executed.
However, according to Jailer Dawal Rawat, the report from the district hospital concerning the injured individuals checked on September 7 had not been received as of yet. Man Bahadur Rokaya, a Health Assistant at District Hospital Humla, mentioned that no major issues were detected during the examination, but due to the lack of MRI and CT scan facilities in the district hospital, it is not possible to rule out more significant problems.
When questioned about the incident, DSP Bhimalal Bhattarai explained that because there is no dedicated jail in the district, prisoners and detainees are accommodated together, resulting in noise disturbances during sleeping hours. This arrangement stems from the fact that, in the absence of a local jail, individuals arrested in various incidents are held in police custody as per the court’s orders.