SC asks clarification regarding detainees

Kathmandu, Feb 6 -The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Ministry of Defense, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) headquarters, Rajdal Battalion, and the RNA’s Bhairavnath Barracks for the second time to produce before the apex court clarifications as to why the authorities were yet to respond to an SC order on January 1.

The authorities were yet to respond to the apex court on their false report regarding the detention of alleged Maoists Ranjit Darnal, Amrit Darnal, Rajendra Chaurel and Pushpa Raj Basnet, according to reports.

The authorities had submitted written explanation to the SC claiming the alleged Maoists were not in army detention. However, an inspection team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had found the alleged Maoists at the two army barracks.

Following the NHRC’s findings, a division bench of Justices Ram Prasad Shrestha and Top Bahadur Magar had sought clarification from the authorities as to why they had submitted such false claims before the SC, reports The Himalayan Times daily.

Responding to show cause notices on separate habeas corpus petitions, the Rajdal Battalion and Bhairavnath barracks had told the SC some five months ago that the alleged Maoists were not in army detention.

The NHRC had send a report to the Supreme Court saying that its team had found four of the Maoists mentioned in the habeas corpus petitions in army detention Ranjit Darnal, Amrit Darnal and Rajendra Chaurel at the Rajdal Battalion barrack and Pushpa Raj Basnet at the Bhairavnath barrack.

The NHRC report said the Maoist suspects were held without following proper legal procedures. “The authorities provided no legal facilities to the detainees. They were also not allowed to meet lawyers and relatives. The arrests were made by crossing constitutional bounds,” the report said.