South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), a regional network of human rights defenders, is writing to you regarding the deteriorating health condition of Ganga Maya Adhikari, who has been fasting unto dearth since 29 May in the search for justice for Krishna Prasad, her son who was allegedly abducted, tortured and murdered by Maoist rebels in 2004.
SAHR has learned that Hon. Anup Raj Sharma, the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal met you on 13 June 2018 to discuss this matter after directing the government to immediately take steps to end the hunger strike; and making inquiries from the Home Secretary and the Inspector General of Police of Nepal as to the progress of their efforts in addressing the demand for justice made by Ganga Maya Adhikari for the murder of her son. SAHR would like to emphasise that so far no proactive action has happened on the part of the relevant government authorities in the context.
SAHR has come to know that Ganga Maya Adhikari has been seeking justice for the death of her son for the past 13 years. In fact she and her husband had first commenced a fast unto death strike in 2013 in front of the then Prime Minister Battarai’s residence, when the government did not address their demand for justice in persecuting the alleged perpetrators. Her husband Nana Prasad Adhikari died after a similar 11-month long fast unto death in 2014, and his remains are still kept in the morgue of Tribhuvan Teaching Hospital.
Therefore, taking into consideration the above, SAHR endorses the directives of the NHRC of Nepal and the 2015 Supreme Court judgement in this regard and advocates the government of Nepal of the following:
1. Take immediate measures to end the fast unto death campaign of Ganga Maya Adhikari, considering her ever deteriorating health condition.
2. Uphold the 2015 judgement of the Supreme Court which ordered the arrest of Chhabilal Poudel, one of the main accused in the murder case of Krishna Prasad, and try him in the court of law.
3. Direct Mr. Prem Rai, the Home Secretary and Mr. Sarbendra Khanal, the Inspector General of Police to use diplomatic channels to bring Chhabilal Poudel back to the country in order to try him in the court of law.
On behalf of the members of South Asians for Human Rights
Sultana Kamal
Chairperson
Mohamed Latheef
Co-chairperson
On behalf of the members of South Asians for Human Rights
Sultana Kamal
Chairperson
Mohammed Latheef
Co-Chairperson