Chandrakala Lamgade

Name of Victim: Chandrakala Lamgade

Gender: Female

Age: 27

Address: Dhulabari, Jhapa

Discrimination type: Physical violence/ Caste based discrimination

Incident Narrative:

On 24 August 2020, Chandrakala Lamgade confronted her neighbor, former Nepal Army personnel along with his wife, who attacked Rajan Darji, a local Dalit man, at around 8 pm allegedly for visiting their eatery. Darji had fled to Lamgade and her husband seeking help after the incident. When they confronted the perpetrators attacked Suman Khati, Lamgade’s husband and her and verbally abused them. the perpetrator beat them off with the belt. The national athlete, who has represented Nepal in two South Asian Games and an Asian Championship, is seven months pregnant, and is worried about her fetus. Lamgade’s husband, Suman registered a complaint against the perpetrators at the Area Police Office in Dhulabari on 25 August 2020. Acting on the complaint, security personnel have detained the perpetrators. According to the police inspector, an investigation is going on after the district court remanded them in custody.

Case Status: Under investigation

Media links related to the incident:
1. https://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/49955/2020-08-26

2. https://www.hamrokhelkud.com/others/75666.html

Shambhu Sada

Name of Victim: Shambhu Sada

Gender: Male

Age: 33

Address: Sabailai Municipality-12, Dhanusha

CBDU type: Custodial Death at Sabaila Area Police Office

Incident Narrative:

In the early hours of the morning on June 10, Shambhu Sada, a 23-year-old Nepali truck driver from Sabaila Municipality, died in police custody in Dhanusha District. Sada had turned himself in to the police two weeks earlier after he hit and killed a local woman, Sumindra Devi Sah, in a traffic accident.The police reported Sada’s death as a suicide, saying he hanged himself in the jail’s bathroom. However, after hearing the tragic news, members of Sada’s community and family – who are Dalits belonging to the Musahar caste – refused to accept the police version of events. His friends and family have contested the police’s claim. Siyali Devi, Sada’s mother, has alleged that the police murdered her son and staged his death as a suicide.

Following Sada’s death, his friends and family have been organizing protest rallies in Janakpur demanding a fair and impartial investigation into the case. On June 11,Thursday, the day after Sada’s death, protesters vandalised the Area Police Office.Sada’s body remains at the morgue in the Janakpur Provincial Hospital. His family is demanding that the police lodge a First Information Report (FIR) before family members agree to an autopsy. Sada’s family has also cast doubt on the postmortem to be carried out by pathologists at the provincial hospital. Although the police had agreed to employ a pathologist from Sada’s community as per the family’s demand, the hospital had refused. Nagendra Prasad Yadav, medical superintendent at the hospital, said that the hospital’s protocol doesn’t allow outsiders to perform a postmortem on a body registered at the hospital. Superintendent Ramesh Banset, chief of the Dhanusa District Police Office, said that Shambhu’s family had even signed a written statement on the morning after the incident where the cause of death has been stated as a suicide. Siyali Devi, however, said that police had pressured her into signing the document. Sada’s family has filed a complaint addressing Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut at the provincial office of the National Human Rights Commission, demanding an impartial investigation into his death.

Case Status: Under Investigation

Media links related to the incident:
1. https://thewire.in/south-asia/deaths-in-custody-impunity-nepal-police

2. https://english.onlinekhabar.com/dhanusha-body-of-man-who-died-in-custody-awaits-postmortem.html

3. https://kathmandupost.com/province-no-2/2020/06/14/in-custody-death-of-a-musahar-man-sparks-protests-in-janakpur

Bijay Ram

Name of Victim: Bijay Ram

Gender: Male

Age: 19

Address: Garuda Municipality-8, Rautahat

Discrimination type: Custodial Death at Garuda Area Police Office

Incident Narrative:

On August 16 2020, police arrested Bijay Mahara, 19, at his home in Garuda Municipality-8, Rautahat, along with 10 others over their alleged involvement in a murder that took place a day earlier.Area Police Office Garuda alleged that Mahara assisted Shekh Alam, another local resident, in the murder of Niranjan Ram, also from the same area.Despite repeated requests from family members and local rights activists, police didn’t allow family members to meet Mahara and other detainees. However, ten days later, on August 26 mid-night, the family was told Mahara died while receiving treatment for a kidney ailment at National Medical College, Birgunj.According to the family, Bijay Ram died of torture at the hands of the police. The police didn’t even let us meet him when he was taken to the hospital. His health condition was perfectly fine. He died because the police beat him ruthlessly.”

However, police refuted the allegations.

On August 27,Thursday, a large number of people organised a sit-in in front of the police office and chanted slogans. Police personnel were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control. The state 2 government offers relief of Rs 500,000 to the family of Vijay Mahara of Rautahat. Three policemen have been suspended for their alleged involvement in the death of 19-year-old Bijay Ram Mahara of Garuda Municipality-8 Basaviti Jingadia. Inspector Nabin Kumar Singh working at the District Police Office, Rautahat and Constables Firoz Miya Dhuniya and Munna Kumar Singh have been suspended from the District Police Office, Rautahat. Though the Home Ministry has suspended three persons working at the District Police Office, Rautahat, DSP Gyan Kumar Mahato of the Area Police Office, Garuda has been called to the Provincial Police Office. However, the Dalit community and locals have been blaming Mahato.

Case Status : Under Investigation

Media links related to the incident:
1. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/08/28/yet-another-dalit-death-spotlights-culture-of-torture-in-police-custody

2. https://kathmandupost.com/province-no-2/2020/08/27/rautahat-youth-arrested-on-murder-charge-dies-while-undergoing-treatment

3. https://www.setopati.com/social/215665

4. https://todaykhoj.com/todaykhoj2/17959

5. https://nepalhumanrights.org/index.php/2020/09/02/update-on-death-of-bijay-mahara-in-rautahat-due-to-police-torture-rasikul-in-jhapa-in-apf-firing/

6. https://aawaajnews.com/social/rautahats-superintendent-of-police-replaced-as-dalits-intensify-agitation-against-killings/

Ajit Mijar

Name of Victim: Ajit Mijar

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Address: Hokse-6 Kavrepalanchowk

Discrimination type: Murder

Incident Narrative:

2073 Asar 23: Ajit Mijar (Dhakal), 18 and Kalpana Parajuli, 17 of Kavrepalanchowk district got married.

2073 Asar 24: Kalpana’s family registered First Information Report (FIR) against Ajit, under the Muluki Ain, 2020 as marriage under 20 without parents’ consent is illegal. Both families were summoned for discussion.

2073 Asar 25: The police officials and the girl’s family forced the couple to separate. Kalpana’s family members also threatened to kill Ajit at any cost.

2073 Asar 27: Ajit Mijar went missing as he left home with Rs 50 to buy a recharge card.

2073 Asar 30: Body found in hanging state in Dhading, Parewatar.

2073 Shrawan 1: The police had already buried the dead body found hanging on a wooden waiting-place near Furke Khola of Gajuri and denied to dig up the body. The body was exhumed only after Mr. Sitaram Ghale, Member Secretary of the National Dalit Commission, informed and secured permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs and requested to dig up the body and hand it over to the family. The face was unrecognizable as if acid had been thrown on his face, and despite the police claim that an autopsy was conducted, there were no cuts on his body.

2073 Shrawan 2: FIR in Dhading Ilaka Prahari Karayalaya Gajuri against Bhojraj Prajuli, Samjhana Parajuli and Tekbahadur Parajuli by father Haribhakta Mijar.

2073 Shrawan 4: An autopsy was conducted in Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, under the leadership of Dr. Harihar Awasthi. Further viscera tests to be taken for confirmation.

2073 Shrawan 6: An investigation committee comprising of Assistant CDO of Dhading, DSP of District Police Office, and Chief District Investigation Officer formed.

2073 Shrawan 10: National Dalit Commission submitted an application to the Office of the Attorney General for impartial investigation and justice.

2073 Shrawan 12: A report publicized by Dalit Civil Society after monitoring the situation in Kavre and Dhading concluded that it was not a suicide, but staged murder based on their findings. The report stated that his legs touched the floor when the body was found, the rope used was fragile and wasn’t tightened steadily, police hurriedly buried the body and didn’t disclose who was on duty on that day either.

2073 Shrawan 13: Human rights defenders of Dhading district handed over a memorandum to the CDO of Dhading calling for action against the murderers of Ajit, demanding a fair investigation and necessary legal action against the murderers.

2073 Shrawan 22: The family came to know that the Dhading Police hadn’t registered the FIR. FIR was registered after two months only after pressure from National Dalit Commission, Political Parties, and activists.

2073 Bhadra 8: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs Narayan Gopal Malego, and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Upendra Kanta Aryal and directed to form a committee to investigate the alleged murder of Ajit Mijar after meeting with a delegation from the United Political Dalit Struggle Committee.

2073 Bhadra 31: Social Justice and Human Rights Committee of Legislature Parliament concluded that the body was buried without conducting an autopsy. The autopsy report from Gajuri Police and Gajuri Health Post was forged. The Committee, in its report, concluded that it was murder and appealed to the concerned bodies to look into the matters seriously.

2073 Ashoj 6: Samjhana Parajuli and Tekbahadur Parajuli released on bail were released on bail whieBhojraj Raj Parajuli was held in detention for investigation.

2073 Poush 28: Bhoj Raj Parajuli was released on bail by Patan High Court.

2073 Magh 6: PM formed an investigation committee in the leadership of Ministry for Youth and Sports, Daljit Shripaili.

2073 Magh 18: A delegation of the National Dalit Liberation Front submitted a memorandum to the PM calling on to bring the guilty in the murder of Mijar to book and provide the victims’ families with proper compensation.

2073 Falgun: The Committee prepared a report which concluded that Mijar was murdered.

2073 Chaitra 12: The then spokesperson of NHRC, Mohana Ansari, commented that police investigation was fragile, and due process had not been followed.

2074 Baisakh 7: Meeting of Council of Ministers decided to give Rs 1 million as compensation to the family upon recommendation of the ministerial Committee.

2075 Jeth 20: Dhading District Court acquitted the accused on the ground of lack of substantial evidence.

Currently, an appeal lies in High Court Patan whereby the court has ordered the appearance of Dr. Amrita Shrestha, who was involved in taking autopsy in Dhading since her deposition in Dhading District Court seemed to be contradictory.

Ajit Mijar’s body is still lying at TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, because his family is adamant not to cremate the body unless justice is done.

Case Status: Under Investigation- Dead body still at the cold

Media links related to the incident:
1. https://www.pressenza.com/2016/07/nepal-ajit-mijars-death-not-suicide-murder/

2. http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-093-2016/

3. https://www.recordnepal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Fact-Finding-Report-of-Mijar-Murder-case_-Kavre.pdf

4. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2016/08/25/probe-dalit-youths-murder-pm

Suman khati

Name of Victim: Suman Khati

Gender: Male

Age: 29

Address: Dhulabari, Jhapa

Discrimination type: Physical violence/ Caste based discrimination

Incident Narrative:

On 24 August 2020, Suman Khati’s wife, Chandrakala Lamgade confronted her neighbor, former Nepal Army personnel along with his wife, who attacked Rajan Darji, a local Dalit man, at around 8 pm allegedly for visiting their eatery. Darji had fled to Khati and his wife seeking help after the incident. When they confronted the perpetrators attacked Suman Khati and his wife and verbally abused them. the perpetrator beat them off with the belt. Suman registered a complaint against the perpetrators at the Area Police Office in Dhulabari on 25 August 2020. Acting on the complaint, security personnel have detained the perpetrators. According to the police inspector, an investigation is going on after the district court remanded them in custody.

Case Status: Under Investigation

Media links related to the incident:
1. https://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/49955/2020-08-26?s=04&fbclid=IwAR2h59LyMq1m1T2x6f6igH6QUaK2GxdDuuQlCIysadpQo_P9VCyCdRWZ6jwhttps://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/49955/2020-08-26?s=04&fbclid=IwAR2h59LyMq1m1T2x6f6igH6QUaK2GxdDuuQlCIysadpQo_P9VCyCdRWZ6jwhttps://www.hamrokhelkud.com/others/75666.html

2. https://kathmandupost.com/province-no-1/2020/08/28/i-m-shocked-it-happened-to-me-record-breaking-athlete-comes-to-grips-with-caste-based-discrimination

Nabaraj BK

Name of Victim: Nabaraj BK

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Address: Jajarkot, Nepal

Discrimination type: Mass Killing

Incident Narrative:

On 23 May 2020, Nabaraj BK, a 21-year-old Dalit youth from Rukum West was killed along with his five friends, Sanju BK, 21, Lokendra Sunar, 18, Tikaram Sunar, 20, Govinda Shahi, 17, and Ganesh Budha. The attack took place Nabaraj, a Dalit from Jajarkot district, visited the home of his girlfriend, Sushama Malla, 17, in Solti villag who is from a higher caste.  Nabaraj with his 18 friends went to Solti village to bring his girlfriend home as bride. Unfortunately, the girl’s family did not want a Dalit son-in-law. The girl’s family and villagers of about 50-60 people chased BK and his friends to the Bheri River, beaten to death and thrown in the river.

Case Status : Under Investigation

Media links related to the incident:

1. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/05/26/one-more-body-recovered-from-the-bheri-river-on-monday

2. https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-caste-attack-turns-deadly/

3. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/jun/13/nepal-to-investigate-dalit-killings-following-arranged-marriage-dispute

Angira Pasi

Name of Victim: Angira Pasi

Gender: Female

Age: 13

Address: Devdaha Nagarpalika-11, Rupandehi, Province 5

Discrimination type: Rape and Murder

Incident Narrative:

Angira Pasi went missing on Friday May 22 2020, when her widowed mother began looking for her. She found that her neighbor, 25 year old Birendra Bhar, had raped her daughter. The next morning. Saturday, May 23rd. A meeting was held among the community leaders which included Ward Chairman- Amar Bahadur Chaudhary. It was decided that Pasi was to be married to Bhar. Once Angira made her way to Birendra’s house she was attacked by his family members because she was a Dalit. Later that day her body was found hanging from a local tree on the banks of the Rohini river. Initially, the police deemed it a suicide regardless of the large amount of evidence to support the contrary. Police registered the case only after the public outrage.

Case Status: The accused is in detention after the pretrial detention hearing at the district court

Media links related to the incident: 
1. https://ekantipur.com/news/2020/05/28/159063408419619185.html

2. https://nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com/social-affairs/251561-1592904466.html?click_from=popular

3. https://www.setopati.com/social/207544

4. https://www.dainiknepal.com/2020/05/450898.html

5. https://nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com/social-affairs/253241-1593011225.html?fbclid=IwAR1l9RcgQVNazZo7vePD0vm7wyP5aTWj-y4s7xNChPugEbWwyCR5a71Psok#.XvN8w2yRyQM.facebook

6. https://ekantipur.com/pradesh-5/2020/06/23/159289657126476876.html?fbclid=IwAR2oR9cASLK34lBGvkGg7kvhEE9ig9ordOv2pdB6K_-T_oXdCkLgUniNCDw

7. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/06/02/human-rights-watch-calls-on-nepal-government-to-ensure-justice-for-caste-based-killings

8. https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/05/29/rights-commission-expresses-concern-over-death-after-rape-incident-in-rupandehi

9. https://www.kantipath.com/breaking-news/angira-pasi?fbclid=IwAR1OtEjZr2XEdlSdNxg-shi4FqAcbg6oSgWWZmuwcu1SdiU2IWMH23BWlfI

Shiva Shankar Das

Name of Victim:  Shiva Shankar Das

Gender:  Male

Age: 21

Address: Siraha

Discrimination type:  Murder

Incident Narrative:

Shiva Shankar Das, 21, had a love affair with a 20-year-old woman belonging to a so-called “upper-caste” community. Both Das and the girl reside in Pansera VDC of Siraha District. The relationship was known to the whole village. The girl’s family sternly opposed the relationship, which challenged the strict social barriers of caste.

According to a report by Asian Human Rights Commission- On January 29, the girl’s brothers threatened Das, demanding that he bring the relationship to an end or to “prepare everything for his funeral”. According to Shiva’s family, on January 30, Shiva was beaten up by seven of the girl’s relatives. Shiva sustained numerous scars and bruises from the attack. Later that day, Shiva went to meet with the girl to get his phone, which had been taken by the girl’s relatives. He was healthy at the time. He came back home around 8.30 pm crawling on his hands and knees, and told his family that he had been poisoned by the Chaudhari family. He vomited twice while narrating the event. He was taken to the Nursing Home at Lahan for treatment. The Nursing Home referred him to BP Koirala Institute of Health Science Dharan where doctors announced his death the next day.The initial local police officers reaction to the case has been highly problematic and suggests that they have been attempting to cover up the case, protecting the perpetrators. Collusion between the police and the perpetrators typically happens in cases of caste-motivated violence and prevents the victims from benefiting from the protection of the law.

A death certificate specifying the victim’s cause of death was provided to the police instead of the victim’s family. We are informed that the police did not give the death certificate to the victim’s family at any time. In addition, the doctors prepared a postmortem report, but the victim’s family did not see its content. Requests by human rights organizations to see the postmortem report have yielded no result.

Immediately after Shiva’s death, his parents contacted the police about the case, but the police failed to return their call until almost 8 hours later. Inspector Pradhumn Adhikari from the area police office, Kalyanpur VDC, Saptari District refused to file the family’s complaint and without conducting a thorough investigation into the case, alleged that the victim had committed suicide instead. As per the State Cases Act, the police have an obligation to register and investigate every First Information Report brought before them.

The police then allegedly prepared a report but did not allow the family to see its content. Instead, the police forced Das’ father to mark his fingerprints on the police report without being able to see its content and without it being read to him. They threatened to thrown him into jail if he did not comply with their demands. After the initial rejection of the case, the victim’s family sent their First Information Report to the Chief District Officer and the District Police Office, Saptari.

Dalit civil society led a campaign protesting the police’s rejection of the case, and eventually the case was registered on 26 February 2012 in the Kalyanpur area police office in the name of the seven Chaudhari family members quoted above. In spite of that step being taken, however, no investigation has been launched. (Narratives taken from the webpage of Asian Human Rights Commission)

Case status: Under investigation

Media links related to the incident:

1. https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/in-pics-youths-seek-justice-for-12-year-old-girl-killed-after-rape/

2. http://inseconline.org/en/news/complaint-filed-against-the-accused-of-murder-after-rape/

3. http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-104-2012/

Samjhana Kami

Name of Victim:  Samjhana Kami

Gender:  Female

Age: 12

Address: Bajhang

Discrimination type:  Rape and Murder

Incident Narrative: 12 years old, Samjhana Kami, 6th grade student of Matta Basic School was killed after rape in Bajhang district on 23 September 2020. A complaint has been lodged against 18-year-old Rajendra Bahadur Bohara of Masta Rural Municipality, Bajhang on September 25 on a charge of raping and killing.

Caste Status: The complaint is lodged and case under investigation

Media links related to the incident:

1. https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/in-pics-youths-seek-justice-for-12-year-old-girl-killed-after-rape/

2. http://inseconline.org/en/news/complaint-filed-against-the-accused-of-murder-after-rape/

Mana Sharki

Name of Victim: Mana Sharki

Gender: Female

Age:

Address: Kalikot

Discrimination type: Murder

Incident Narrative: Mana Sharki, a Dalit ward member of Naraharinath Rural Municipality-9 in Kalikot district was beaten to death in her own house. She was elected the ward member of Naraharinath-9 representing CPN-UML, died after she was brutally attacked by three women from the same village. She had beaten to death for having an affair with their a non-dalit man. Sarki was a mother of six children.

Media links related to the incident:

1. https://nepalmonitor.org/reports/view/19367

2. https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/dalit-ward-member-dies-after-beating-by-paramour-s-children/