The human right situation of the country from July 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013 was not encouraging for people concerned with human rights as human rights violation and abuse continued in these months. INSEC database and online news archive recorded killings of 23 people from July to September while two people were abducted. There were total 70 cases of rape, among them 27 where adult whereas 43 were minors. This is an increasing total as compared to the previous quarter. The online data showed four cases of inter-caste marriage and two cases of child marriage whereas a total of 11 cases of caste-based discrimination. More than 37 cases were reported on Violence against woman and domestic violence.
Out of 23 killings reported, a case was of Laxmi Thakur, 6, who was killed by her drunken father Bhagiram Thakur, 24, of Gajeda VDC-2. A 22-year-old woman Mofidum Nesa of Praskota VDC-2 had to lose her life for asking a citizenship certificate, which was her basic socio-political right. She was strangulated by her husband and mother-in-law on September 4. Likewise, Assistant Professor at Janak Hajari Bidhyapith, Satya Narayan Gareri, 46, of Arnama VDC-5 in Siraha and currently living in Janakpur Municipality-8 was killed by an unidentified group. Gareri was gunshot on the abdomen and also had slit throat. His body was found around 6 in the morning on the road linking Janakpur and Kurtha in Kurtha VDC-6.
The cases of women rights violation and domestic violence were reported in a large number during this period. Murder, assault, rape and beating continued in this quarter. A 45-year-old Parwati Devi Chaudhary was beaten to death on charge of practicing witchcraft in Supauli VDC-9, Parsa district on August 16. She was thrashed by a group of villagers, accusing her of casting spell on her neighbor Jagadish Rauts daughter Pratima Chaudhary, 20. Earlier, a single woman Saraswati Devi, 50, of Bishrampur VDC-1 was inhumanely treated on August 6 on charge of being witch. The accused in the case, Manjay Chaurasiya, 16, Lal Chuniya Chaurasiya, 42, and Devimati Chaurasiya, 43, were held and interrogated, police informed. A 15-year-old Deuri Parwah was murdered and her body was found in decayed condition in the drain in the evening of July 16. The family suspected that she was murdered after rape when she went out of home.
Throughout this quarter, 11 cases of caste-based discrimination were reported. Nanda Lal Biswakarma of Ratnawali VDC-6 in Sindhuli was beaten on charge of using public water mill and worshipping in a temple. He said that he was being barred from using the mill and worshipping by a community of 15-16 Chhetri households of Okharbot after he started living in the area six months ago. Likewise, Deepak Nepali, 29, of Dewal of Rithapata VDC-8 accused Mohan Bam, 45, of Paiyatola of the same VDC-5 of insulting him by caste-based abuses. He also added that Bam rebuffed him when he had gone to the local temple to worship by saying that a dum (caste-based abuse for community of Pariyar) had come to the temple without taking off his slippers.
The Election Commission released the Code of Conduct for the upcoming Constituent Assembly for conducting free and fair elections during the same quarter which is more optimistic from human rights point of view. The concerned groups were consulted prior to finalizing the Code of Conduct. One of the accused in Krishna Adhikari murder case was also arrested in this quarter. Adhikaris parents were sitting in a hunger strike for 45 days before the arrest came. A bomb which was concealed in a plastic bag went off at around 11:45 am at Survey Office in Malangawa, injuring at least 12 persons out of which six were critically injured and taken to Kathmandu for further treatment.
Meanwhile, CPN-M cadre Ram Pariyar, 24 was arrested on September 16 and was kept in custody at District Police Office in Dhulikhel for his involvement in arson of a bus carrying passengers to Melamchi from Banepa. As another political incident unfolded, CPN-M led front of 33 parties has decided to boycott the CA elections.
There were a couple of cases of child marriage and abduction throughout this quarter. A complaint was filed against Nabin Kapar, 18, and his father Sikindar Kapar on August 20 on charge of forcefully performing marriage of a 13-year-old girl. And Akbar Pathan, 19, of Banskhor in Singhkhor VDC-4 was abducted by an unidentified group on the evening of August 14. The victim was abducted while returning his home from Taulihawa.
There were eight cases of police torture and couple of cases of attack on journalist as well. Journalist Hemanta Chaudhary, 29, and Binod Acharya of New Course Daily, being published from Nepalgunj, were maltreated by the police on duty on August 6. Chaudhary is a District Secretary of Revolutionary Journalist Federation and employee of News 24.The journalists were maltreated with a foul language by the policeman near the Puspalal Chok while returning from work. They were further beaten with boots and fist by the policeman, Chaudhary told. Likewise, Padam Bahadur Shahi, 42, of Pitmari in Naubasta VDC-2 and Jhup Bahadur Bistha, 37, of Tikulipur of Kachanapur VDC-7 filed a case against police at the District Police Office on July 24 accusing them of torturing them in custody. They filed the case with the support of Advocacy Forum. They also said that they had injuries in facial bone and needed to be operated after beaten by SI Narpati Bhatta, Police Constable Nar Bahadur Nepali and another Constable with last name as Chaudhary posted at District Police Office.
The absence of the elected government, stalled peace process, impunity and the obstruction of rule of law is a disappointing situation of human rights during this quarter.
