A district court has convicted two Nepali nationals and one Indian national for trafficking a 22-year-old woman, sentencing Rajesh Nepali, 30, of Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City–16, and his wife, Radha Pandey, 35, to 30 years and 30 years and six months in prison, respectively.
The bench of District Judge Lal Singh Thapa, on July 16, sentenced Rajesh Nepali to 30 years and six months’ imprisonment, a fine of Rs. 205,000, and Rs. 50,000 in compensation. Radha Pandey was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment, a fine of Rs. 200,000, and Rs. 50,000 in compensation. Ram Niwas Maurya, 49, of Imiliya, Balrampur District, Uttar Pradesh, India, was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment, fined Rs. 350,000, and ordered to pay Rs. 18,000 in compensation.
Rajesh Nepali received 20 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking, 10 years for forcing the victim into sexual exploitation, and an additional six months as a repeat offender, bringing his total sentence to 30 years and six months. Radha Pandey was sentenced to 20 years for human trafficking and 10 years for forcing the victim into sexual exploitation, totaling 30 years. Maurya received 20 years for human trafficking and an additional seven years for rape, totaling 27 years in prison.
According to the case, Rajesh Nepali and Radha Pandey lured a woman from Dang to India’s Krishnanagar on the pretext of buying goods at low prices. On January 17, 2025, they allegedly took her via Krishnanagar to Balrampur, India, where they sold her to Ram Niwas Maurya for INR 35,000.
The victim filed a complaint with the Gadhawa Area Police Office on January 27, 2025. Police rescued her from India on January 30, 2025, and brought her back to Nepal. She underwent a medical examination at Rapti Academy of Health Sciences in Ghorahi on January 31, 2025.