21 June 2012. Ajit Kumar Lal Karna, a college student, aged 26, resident of Jaleshwor Municipality Ward No-5, Mahottari, was reportedly arrested from his home at around 6:30 pm by the team of police, including local police, led by DSP Bhupendra Khatri deployed from Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on 6th May, 2012. He was allegedly arrested on the accusation of having his involvement in Janakpur Bomb Blast which took place on 30 April that killed five people and injured more than 30. But the family members claim that Ajit Kumar does not have any connection with that incident and also state that Ajit was arrested from his bed on his sickness. But the police have denied arresting Ajit Kumar. His whereabouts is unknown to date.
The family members suspect that Ajit was arrested because police have charged his older brother, Jitendra Kumar Karna, with being involved in the bomb blast of Janakpur. Jitendra Karna is in hiding.
The policemen deployed from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) had also arrested Sanjit Kumar Karna, younger brother of Ajit Kumar and detained for two days, where he was interrogated and later released.
Ajit Kumar Karna’s family lodged a habeas corpus petition at the Supreme Court on 17 May, 2012. The court, responding to the petition, ordered the police to produce Ajit Kumar before the court within five days, but they failed to do so. Later after receiving the statements of the defendants, the court issued a Search Warrant, but the search could not locate the corpus of the victim. During the latest hearing made on 13 June, 2012, as per the submission made by the counsels of the petitioner, the apex court ordered for collection and submission of the study report from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) which is also believed to have conducted a study in regard to the happenings in the case.
Counsels of the petitioner, the apex court ordered for collection and submission of the study report from the National Human Rights Commission which is also believed to have conducted a study in regard to the happenings in the case.
AF believes that the present case is a serious case of human rights violation that violates the rights of the victim to be in touch with the family and to use his certain rights relating to life, liberty and security of person as mentioned in the national and international laws. This is one of the representative violations that have been perpetrated in the post-war transitional scenario which proves that the citizens of Nepal are still insecure and vulnerable to such unlawful acts. The law cannot provide immunity for an act of unlawful arrest and the incommunicado detention. The authorities and responsible persons must be held accountable for their illegal acts.
Advocacy Forum, which has been providing the victim family with legal assistance, urges all the national and international organizations and communities concerned to speak out loudly for the rule of law, equal protection of law and granting no impunity for those who commit such a heinous crime.
