9 September 2020: After multiple attempts, the District Attorney Office, Gaur Rautahat registered the FIR against 6 Police Personnel for their involvement in alleged torture and death of Bijaya Mahara, a 19-year-old Dalit boy from Garuda Rautahat. District Police Office (DPO) Rautahat refused to register the FIR on 8 September 2020, for the second time in a row. Bijay Mahara was arrested on 15 August 2020, as a suspect in the murder of Niranjan Ram, a 17-year-old boy working in a local nursery. Following the refusal from the DPO to register the FIR, the victim’s father, Panilal Mahara moved to the District Attorney’s Office, requesting to order the DPO to register the FIR and initiate the investigation. The FIR has been filed against 6 police Personnel, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) Rabiraj Khadka and In-charge and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gyan Kumar Mahato including others.
Earlier, the SP Siddhi Bikram Shah, who has recently replaced the SP Rabiraj Khadka responded that he can register the FIR only if the allegation is made against the policemen who are directly involved in inflicting torture to Bijay Mahara.
After registering the FIR, District Attorney Subash Kumar Bhattarai forwarded the FIR to the DPO for the registration and initiate the further process.
Advocacy Forum-Nepal has been following up the case and providing legal assistance to the vicitms’ family.
