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Nirmala’s parents fall ill; refuse to leave sit-in camp for treatment in hospital
The parents of teenage rape and murder victim, Nirmala Pant, have fallen ill in course of their protest. The couple, however, have refused to leave their sit-in camp, outside the Kanchanpur District Administration Office in Mahendranagar, for treatment.Bhawani Bhatta
The parents of teenage rape and murder victim, Nirmala Pant, have fallen ill in course of their protest. The couple, however, have refused to leave their sit-in camp, outside the Kanchanpur District Administration Office in Mahendranagar, for treatment.
Yagya Raj and Durga Devi began their indefinite sit-in protest on Sunday, demanding that the murderers of their 13-year-old daughter are captured and brought to justice.
Health officials are worried about the couple’s failing health.
Both of them are suffering from fever and have low blood pressure, according to Dr Kishor Bohara of Mahakali Zonal Hospital.
Since the couple have turned down the counsel of their well-wishers to go see the doctor, a medical team from the hospital visited them at the protest venue to examine thier conditions on Thursday.
“We have taken the blood samples for test. We will prescribe the treatment based on the results,” said Dr Bohara, who reckons that the couple will have to visit a proper medical facility if their conditions are life-threatening.
Yagya Raj was already suffering from common cold on the day he and his wife started their protest. Dr Bohara said his conditon was exacerbated due to lack of rest and stress.
“I am not leaving unless my daughter gets justice,” said Yagya Raj.
Health is of least concern for the Pant couple at this juncture. They have gone through a lot of tribulations ever since Nirmala was found raped and murdered in cold blood on July 27.
The case drew national attention and brought Nepal Police into disrepute after it was revealed that Kanchanpur police destroyed the evidence from the site where Nirmala’s body was found and tried unsuccessfully to frame an innocent man over the teen’s death. Protests erupted across the country against police negligence and their failure to capture the culprits. As the chorus for justice grew louder, the government took action against several police officers for dereliction of duty and launched a fresh inquiry into the case.
It’s been more than three months since Nirmala’s death, but police are nowhere near to finding her killers.
For the parents of the murdered teenager, protest is their only recourse to get justice.