Umesh Thapa’s family move to SC

Kathmandu, Feb 28-A writ petition was filed at the Supreme Court on monday seeking an order to the government to provide sufficient compensations to the family of the recently declared martyr, Umesh Chandra Thapa, and to locate the army personnel who killed him.

Thapa, a CPN-UML activist, who was killed on his way home after taking part in a rally against the municipal polls on February 8 by an army personnel, has been declared martyr by the seven-party alliance (SPA).

His son Jagdeep Thapa filed the petition with aid of an non-government organisation working in the field of human rights. “We have produced the petition before the Supreme Court but the officials said they would decide whether to accept the petition or not tomorrow,” said Jagdeep’s lawyer, Bhimarjun Acharya.

“We have sought an apex court order for the implementation of Clause 61 of the Army Act 2016 BS that clearly underlines the need of a trial in a civil court if army personnel commit murder or rape of any civilian,” Acharya added.

“Though there are several precedents set by the Supreme Court in this regard, but the provisions have not been implemented. Thus we have sought an SC order to the government,” he said.

The petitioner has also sought apex court orders to the government authorities to promulgate a specific law to compensate victims of State atrocities.