Nepal Police on Wednesday refuted last week’s Amnesty International’s report in which the international rights watchdog had said members of Tharu community were subjected to arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment at the hands of the police in connection with the killings of eight security personnel and a child in Tikapur, Kailali.

Issuing a statement, Nepal Police said the [AI] report was baseless and biased. “No official or individual was approached for the research,” said the law enforcement agency. 

In a report released on July 19, the AI said police arrested scores of villagers and charged them with murder, attempted murder and robbery in connection the incident of August 24 last year. 

Amnesty International stated that 18 of the 19 detainees interviewed by the organisation said they had been tortured from the moment police took them into custody. 

“The detainees have reported beating and torture immediately upon arrest. Some said that they were beaten until they fell unconscious,” the AI report said. “All detainees said they were then forced to sign “confessions” admitting to their alleged crimes, without even being allowed to read the document.”

Nepali Police Spokesperson DIG Madhav Raj Joshi said in the statement that police authority has not breached basic human rights as guaranteed by national and international laws as stated in the [AI] report. Joshi said that police arrested individuals in connection with the case based on “sufficient evidence as per the law” and investigation was carried out using “scientific methods and resources as far as possible.”

Justifying its action as legal and rationale citing passivity of the arrestees till date, Nepal Police has said: “A victim can lodge a complaint at the court demanding compensation for the coerced confession as per the Compensation Relating to Torture Act and departmental action against official involved, which has not happened till date.” 

Nepal Police has concluded that the AI report “is false and is aimed at influencing the investigation being carried out in the Tikapur incident.”

Stating that the Tharu community has long suffered marginalisation and the denial of their human rights in Nepal, Amnesty International last week had called on the Nepali authorities to carry out prompt, independent, impartial and effective investigations into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment, coerced confessions and arbitrary arrests. 

“The organisation also calls on the Nepali authorities to provide redress to the victims of torture and other ill-treatment in line with international law and standards. This includes an acknowledgment of the harm inflicted to them, as well as rehabilitation, compensation and guarantees of non-repetition,” AI added. 

Point counterpoint

Amnesty International

The detainees interviewed by Amnesty International were subjected to arbitrary arrests. While in custody, 18 of the 19 detainees the organisation spoke to said they had been tortured from the moment the police took them into custody. One of the prisoners interviewed by Amnesty International said that he was beaten immediately upon arrest. He was detained for seven days at the district police office and once police beat him until he fell unconscious. He was eventually revived with water. All detainees said they were forced to sign “confessions” admitting to their alleged crimes, without even being allowed to read the document.

Nepal Police 

Police authority has not breached basic human rights as guaranteed by national and international laws as stated in the [AI] report. Police arrested individuals in connection with the case based on ‘sufficient evidence as per the law’ and investigation was carried out using ‘scientific methods and resources as far as possible’. A victim can lodge a complaint at the court demanding compensation for the coerced confession as per the Compensation Relating to Torture Act and departmental action against official involved, which has not happened till date. The AI report is false and is aimed at influencing the probe.