Responding to a writ petition filed by pro-Maoist student leaders, the Supreme Court issued show cause notices to government authorities seeking clarification on the government’s stand on taking action against the Chief of Army Staff General Pyar Jung Thapa and some other high-ranking army officials.
A single bench of Justice Damodar Prasad Sharma issued the order following today’s hearing. The bench has given a 15-day time frame to the government authorities the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence to reply.
The writ petitioners have demanded action against the chief of the Nepali Army Thapa and senior officers Raju Basnet, Bibek Bista, Indibur Rana and Dilip Rayamajhi, alleging that they tortured and killed Maoists detainees in army detention centres. The petitioners claimed that the army officials are responsible for the disappearance of 49 Maoists detainees from army barracks. The whereabouts of the 49 detainees are still unknown.
President of the Maoists student wing, ANNISU-R, Lekhnath Neupane, and other student leaders Krishna KC, Himal Sharma and Bina Magar jointly filed the petition yesterday alleging that these army officials tortured them and several other Maoists detainees. The bench also demanded clarifications from the Chief of Army Staff Thapa and the Chief of Nepal Police, Human Rights Cell of the Nepali Army, Bhairav Nath Barracks, NHRC and Kathmandu District Administration Office in this regard. The bench has put the issue on the priority list.
No comments:
Post a Comment