Human rights activists including representatives of INSEC visited the Rolpa Prison to monitor it after the death of Sundar Harijan. They visited the prison on June 2, 2022.
The monitoring team consisted of INSEC’s Lumbini Province Coordinator Bhola Mahat, Lumbini Province Coordinator of Advocacy Forum Basanta Gautam, Nepalgunj High Court, Bar Association, Human Rights and Public Affair Committee Coordinator Jhabindra Prasad Poudel, Rolpa District Bar Association Chairperson Tekam Prasad Gharti, Civil Society Leaders and Federation of Nepali Journalists former’s chairperson Khem Budha Magar, Co-editor of Kantipur Daily and founding Chairperson of Federation of Nepali Journalists Rolpa Kashiram Dangi, Minraj Rokka of Kantipur Television and INSEC district representative Tilak Gharti.
The team has met Rolpa Prison Jailor Vishal Khanal, Inspector Thaman GC of District Police Office, Chief District Officer Nabaraj Sapkota and other inmates of the prison and got information about the incident.
Human rights activists had earlier sought information about the incident from the victim’s family, Banke Prison and the administration.
The incident of Harijan’s death became suspicious after he was found hanging inside the toilet of the prison in Rolpa Jail on May 18.
Sundar Harijan was remanded to judicial custody and was supposed to be released but instead of Harijan, Bijay Bikram Shah was released in his name. Shah was imprisoned in the case of arms smuggling. The victim’s family and human rights activists have raised concerns over the release of Bijay Bikram Shah and the death of Sundar Harijan.
Lately, the case of Sundar Harijan’s death has become a matter of national concern.
The Government of Nepal has formed a committee headed by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Surya Prasad Sedhai to investigate the incident. It is said that the team will arrive in Rolpa on June 3.