By Pei Hu
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
MORANG, Nepal – Sumitra Khawas was detained at Area Police Office (APO) of Belbari in the Morang district on September 9th for allegedly murdering her husband. Sumitra disclosed to a Nepalese human rights organization, Advocacy Forum (AF), about her abuse in the hands of police officers.
Sumitra told AF lawyers and activists that she was forced to strip naked for prolonged periods of time. Then, she was repeatedly beaten by punches, and threatened with poisonous lizards to be dropped in her clothes. She said the interrogation lasted about two hours while police tried to get Sumitra to sign a confession for her husband’s murder. Sumitra refused. She recalled three perpetrators, two men and one woman, who were police officers at APO.
AF lawyers wrote letters to government officials, including the Ministry of Justice, to request the transfer of Sumitra from the APO of Belbari. However, AF received no response. When human rights groups tried to visit Sumitra in prison, police officers threatened them by reportedly saying they would “get beat up by the locals.”
As of date, Sumitra is still in police custody at APO. She told AF lawyers that she has received threats, but she has not been tortured since her initial detention. AF lawyers are currently working on Sumitra’s appeal.
Torture is a widespread problem in Nepal. Human Rights Watch and various NGOs have reported of Nepal’s police brutality and the sexual assault of women during their arrests by police officers.
For more information, please see:
Amnesty International – Nepal: Torture of Woman Included Threat to Put Poisonous Lizards in her Clothes – 24 September 2008
Asian Human Rights Commission – A Woman Torture Victim Faces Threats by Police After Disclosing Her Torture Incident – 22 September 2008
Jurist – HRW: Nepal Must ‘Vigorously’ Investigate Human Rights Abuses – 12 September 2008
