– BINOD GHIMIRE, Kathmandu
Jun 14, 2018-National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Anup Raj Sharma on Wednesday called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and asked the latter to take immediate step to end the hunger strike of Ganga Maya Adhikari whose health condition is deteriorating.
Ganga Maya is staging a fast-unto-death protest in Capital’s Bir Hospital, demanding that the murderers of her son Krishna Prasad are brought to justice. Krishna Prasad, a native of Fujel village in Gorkha district, was allegedly abducted and murdered by the then Maoist rebels on June, 2004, in Chitwan district. He was 18 at the time.
Sharma met PM Oli after the authorities concerned took no action towards addressing Ganga Maya’s concern despite a written directive from the commission.
The national human rights watchdog on Friday had written to Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Nepal Police Headquarters to take immediate action towards implementing the order of the Supreme Court (SC).
The apex court in 2015 had directed the authorities to arrest Chhabilal Poudel, one of main accused in the Krishna Prasad murder case, and try him in the court of law. The SC had overturned the decision of the Hetauda Appellate Court to free Poudel on bail.
Ganga Maya has been on staging hunger strike for the past 16 days.
“Both of us will be in trouble if Ganga Maya died in course of hunger strike just like her husband Nanda Prasad. It is you who can stop this situation,” Sharma told PM Oli.
Sharma said the prime minister assured him to take necessary steps to address the concern of Ganga Maya.
“He (PM Oli) said he will consult with Minister for Law and Justice about the matter,” Sharma said.
Ganga Maya’s husband Nanda Bahadur died four years ago while on hunger strike to demand justice for his son. Ganga Maya, according Sharma, has agreed to end her protest after Poudel is arrested.
On Tuesday, the NHRC had also drawn the attention of Attorney General Office about the deteriorating health of Ganga Maya. On December 2015, a division bench of Supreme Court (SC) justices Girish Chandra Lal and Deepak Raj Joshee had overruled Hetauda Appellate Court’s July 2014 ruling to release Poudel on bail.
The SC had also ordered the authorities to arrest the seven suspects and resume the murder trial. The decree remains unenforced.
“The Commission will summon Inspector General of Police and demand clarification if Poudel and the others are not arrested as per the Supreme Court’s order,” Sharma said.
Police say that Poudel is on the run.
Two months after the Hetauda Appellate Court upheld the Chitwan District Court’s decision to release the suspects, Nanda Prasad had died while in hunger strike at Bir Hospital in September 2014.
His body remains at the morgue of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.
