Official, cop rob woman at TIA

KATHMANDU, DEC 18 - In a classic case of guardians of the law turning lawbreakers, an official at the Tribhuvan International Airport and a police constable robbed a woman returning from Saudi Arabia four weeks ago.

Sita Rai (name changed) on Sunday filed a complaint at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) against the duo and said the she was sexually abused and robbed of 9,500 riyal (around Rs 218,000).

The woman from Bhojpur has named constable Parshu Ram Basnet and senior non-gazetted officer at the Department of Immigrations at the TIA , Somnath Khanal, in her complaint.

While police on Sunday arrested Basnet and is at the Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka, presently, Khanal is at large.

Spokesperson at the police range DSP Dhiraj Pratap Singh said Basnet told the police that Khanal fled with the money.

Rai, who had gone to Saudi Arabia via India, landed at the TIA on the night of November 21. She was carrying a fake passport in the name of Bimala KC, Rai admitted in her complaint.

The official and the policeman at the TIA seized her belongings and travel documents on the pretext of a 'regular check,' Rai said.

According to her, Basnet then took her to the New Bus Park to drop her. She was, however, forced to spend a night with him at a local guest house, she said.

"He paid all the bills at the guest house and bought a bus ticket to Bhojpur for me and left," Rai says in her complaint. She realised only later that the official s actually stole her money. "He paid for everything to make sure that I didn't reach for my purse," she says.

MoHA Secretary Navin Kumar Ghimire has formed a panel led by joint secretary Bhola Siwakoti to look into the case.

"I received the complaint today and talked with the victim. We are not in a position to comment until the probe panel prepares the report," Ghimire said.

माओबादीहरुको युनियनको रहेछ यो राम प्रसाद खनाल र सोमनाथ खनाल भन्ने र त यिनीहरुलाई बचाउने कोशिश हुदै रहेछ | नेपालको युनियन र राजनैतिक पार्टी भनेको चोर, डाँकु, हत्यारा र लुटेराहरुको समुह मात्रै रहेछ

TIA Robbery: Ministry suspends immigration officials

KATHMANDU, DEC 25 - The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) on Monday suspended two section officers and a senior non-gazetted officer for their involvement in the robbery case of a returnee female migrant at Tribhuvan International Airport. The ministry suspended Ram Prasad Koirala, Somnath Khanal and official Tika Pokharel of the Department of Immigration (DoI).

The two-month suspension comes a day after a joint-secretary-led probe panel submitted its final report to MoHA secretary Navin Ghimire. The report revealed that section officers Koirala and Pokharel, and senior non-gazetted officer Khanal at the Department of Immigration (DoI), along with constable Parshuram Basnet had financial motives behind the incident.

"We have officially initiated the process to punish the accused today. The suspension is only an initial action," said secretary Ghimire. Further actions will be based on the provisions for punishment inscribed in the Civil Servant Act 1993. Those found guilty can face five different types of punishment depending on the severity of their crime.

Sita Rai (name changed), 20, of Bhojpur lodged a complaint last Sunday with the MoHA against Khanal and Basnet, accusing them of robbing her of Rs 218,000 at TIA on the night of November 21. Her further accused constable Basnet of rape following the robbery. Rai was returning from Saudi Arabia after three years of employment under the passport of one Bimala KC of Parbat district. She had flown from India.

Coming across this illiterate migrant worker carrying someone else's passport, the officials had taken her to the immigration office in Kalikasthan. There, during interrogations, the officials robbed her of the cash. Basnet then volunteered to take her to a buspark where he allegedly raped her at the Solukhumbu Guest House. A recent health report has revealed that Rai is pregnant.

Although the prime accused, Khanal and Basnet, had named other officials, including the director general of the DoI, the probe panel failed to establish their connection with the incident. A source at the MoHA said that director general Suresh Adhikari and Director Ram Prasad Koirala should be held morally responsible for the crime.

A Kathmandu District Court bench remanded constable Basnet to police custody. According to Rai's lawyer, Basanta Basnet, various civil servant trade unions have been exerting pressure on the government to withdraw the suspension of the two section officers. He said that the withdrawal of their suspension would be "unacceptable." The government is preparing to bring about charges of fraud against the officers, said lawyer Basnet. He demanded that they also be charged with corruption and abuse of authority.

Posted on: 2012-12-25 03:00 

Young activists join forces for Rai's cause

KATHMANDU, DEC 27 - An amalgam of young activists has launched a public campaign demanding justice for a woman who was robbed and allegedly raped by a government employee.  

Sita Rai , a 21-year old migrant worker , was robbed byimmigration officials upon her arrival from Saudi Arabia at the Tribhuvan International Airport and subsequently "raped" by a police constable.

The activists have launched campaign in the social media twitter and facebook and put up a petition online which internet users can download, fill out and send it to the prime minister's mail. Those without internet access can find a copy of the printed petition at Southgate of Singh Darbar on Friday. The filled out petitions will be handed over to the prime minister later on the day.

"We urge your office and the Home Ministry to immediately investigate this case and set an example of how violence against women will not be tolerated in Nepal," reads the petition.

"We urge you to use the vast resources at your disposal to call on every government and non-governmental body working on women's rights issues to find out what happened to Sita Nepali at TIA and pursue justice as required, to the full extent of the law," the petition has appealed to the public.

It further reads " Sita Rai has to get justice. By helping deliver that justice, you can also help deliver hope of a better Nepal to millions of Nepali women. To fail Sita Nepali would be to fail the nation."

The news of Sita's alleged robbery and rape came to light only when she lodged a complaint with the Home Ministry againstimmigration officials Ram Prasad Koirala, Somnath Khanal, Tika Pokharel Khanal and police constable Prasuram Basnet.

Coming across this illiterate migrant worker carrying someone else's passport, the officials had taken her to the immigration office in Kalikasthan. There, during interrogations, the officials robbed her of the cash. Basnet then volunteered to take her to a buspark where he allegedly raped her at the Solukhumbu Guest House. A medical test has revealed that Rai is pregnant.

The ministry suspended Koirala, Khanal and Pokharel after a joint-secretary-led probe panel found the officials guilty on Monday. A Kathmandu District Court bench remanded constable Basnet to police custody.

Although Basnet and Khanal are in the police costudy. Pokharel and Koirala are still absconding.

Posted on: 2012-12-27 04:00

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