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Appeal For Taking Actions Against Security Personnel In Nepal
By KTM Metro Reporter
March 4, 2011: Asian Human Rights Commission has appealed the world community to appeal for taking actions against the security personnel involved in torturing Sahaj Ram Tharu for forcing him to confession, Humanrights.asia writes.
According to the news posted on the website Humanrights.asia, an acquaintance brought Mr. Sahaj Ram Tharu to the District Police Office (DPO), Banke in Nepalgunj on 20 February 2011 accusing him of trying to extort money from him on behalf of an underground party. The police kept Sahaj Ram Tharu in detention at the DPO without giving him any detention letter or arrest warrant.
“The next day, 21 February, at noon, several unidentified policemen took him to the upper floor of the DPO, Banke, reportedly blindfolded him and started to interrogate him. The policemen asked him which underground party he was affiliated to and the number of persons he had extorted donations from. During the interrogation, the policemen reportedly forced him to lie on the floor and kicked his chest with their police boots two to three times. As Mr. Sahaj Ram Tharu was denying the allegations and saying that he was not affiliated with any underground party and had not extorted money from anyone, the policemen continued to inflict torture on him and beat the soles of his feet with sticks several times,” Asian Human Rights Commission reports.
“In the evening, at around 10 pm, several unidentified policemen took him to the same room, reportedly blindfolded him and forced him to lie on the floor on his back. It is then alleged that, to restrict his movements, two policemen caught his hands, two policemen caught his legs, two policemen caught his head. Other policemen then poured water into his nose and mouth while interrogating him. Each time, water was poured in his nose and mouth for two to three minutes until he became deadly exhausted. As he kept on denying the allegation, the torture continued. Afterwards, he was brought back to the detention cell and detained there, without having confessed,” Asian Human Rights Commission reports.
“The same day he was given an arrest warrant and a detention letter, hence two days after his arrest. On 23 February, he was remanded for the first time for seven days, with effect from 22 February, under abduction and extortion charges. According to the Police Act of 1955 and the Interim Constitution of Nepal of 2007, any arrested person should be brought to the court within 24 hours, but Mr. Sahaj Ram Tharu was kept in detention for three days before being remanded, and was kept for two days without having received any detention letter or arrest warrant, thus, he was being kept in illegal detention”, Asian Human Rights Commission reports.
Asian Human Rights Commission requests an independent body to launch an impartial and thorough investigation into the allegations of police torture, to take measures for the safety of the victim, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
