NEPAL: Whereabouts of forcibly disappeared man remains unknown after 18 months 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the disappearance of a young man named Sanjiv Kumar Karna (alias Dipu), whose whereabouts have remained unknown since 8 October 2003. On that day, Sanjiv was picnicing with friends when joint security force personnel approached. The security forces took Sanjiv and his ten friends into custody, brutally beating them along the way. When Sanjiv’s father became aware of this situation, he immediately contacted local and international media, human rights organisations, the government and the King. To date, however, no concrete action has been taken.

His family is most concerned for his welfare and desperately seeks assistance in having his whereabouts made known. We ask that you intervene in this case by writing to Major-General Sharma Thappa, Officer of Royal Nepal Army Human Rights Cell, requesting him to act. Please ask that Sanjiv’s whereabouts be made immediately known to his family and that his release be soughtt if no charges have been laid. Please also urge him to launch a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sanjiv’s detention and forced disappearance, in order to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. Finally, please urge him to strictly instruct the army and the police to stop the ongoing illegal arrest, detention and disappearance of civilians.

Urgent Appeals Desk
The Asian Human Rights Commission
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Victim: Sanjiv Kumar Karna (also known as Dipu), 26, former resident of Janakpur Municipality
Perpetrators: Joint security force (policement of District Police Office of Dhanusha District and Regional Police Unit of Janakpur Zone as well as the army personnel of the then army camp situated in a guest house near Tirhutia gachhi area of Janakpur Muncipality)
Date of incident: 8 October 2003

Case details according to Sanjiv’s father:

On 8 October Sanjiv Kumar Karna was enjoying a picnic with his friends when suddenly a policeman appeared. The policeman, through a two-way radio, summoned back-up and soon three vans containing 25-30 security forces in uniform and plain clothes arrived at the scene. They proceeded to arrest all 11 students present before placing them in a van and taking them to the Regional Police Unit Office. During this time, the security forces brutally tortured the victims.

Soon after the arrest occurred, a boy named Sunil Kumar Karna, who was present when the incident took place, went and informed Sanjiv’s father, Mr Jai Kishor. Mr Kishor immediately went to the office of the Society Upliftment Center, Dhanusha (a human rights non-governmental organisation) where the programme co-ordinator Mr Navraj Basnet made investigations and established that all of the detainees had been taken to the Regional Police Unit Office. Mr Kishor went to the Regional Police Unit Office where he saw his son standing in the front yard of the grounds wearing only his underwear, blindfolded and surrounded by security forces, as were all of the other students. He asked to go in to see his son, but was prohibited from doing so. At this point, all of the students were taken inside.

Mr Kishor and Mr Basnet then made contact with Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Krishna Tiwari, by telephone. The DSP informed them that all of the students were being interviewed by the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr Chuda Bahadur Shrestha, the Chief District Officer, Mr Anup Adhikari, the Superintendent of Police, Mr Kuber Singh Rana Magar, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Bishnu Paudel and other members of the District Security Committee. When Mr Kishor and Mr Bennet contacted the DSP again later that night, however, the DSP informed them that the students had all been transferred to another place, the location of which he knew nothing about.

Mr Kishor then sent appeals concerning his son’s disappearance to the local and national newspapers, sent petitions to numerous human rights activists and organisations in Nepal and around the world, and made contact with security authorities, the government, and the King. To date, however, no concrete action has been taken and nor has any furthers news of Sanjiv’s whereabouts come out.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter, fax or email to Major-General Sharma Thappa, Officer of Royal Nepal Army Human Rights Cell, and express your concern about this matter.

 

 

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