Dignity Post
Kathmandu: Dalit leaders in Rautahat picketed the District Police Office seeking to file an FIR against police alleging their hand in the death of Bijaya Ram in police custody on tuesday.
Dalit leaders under the banner of Bijaya Ram-Niranjan Ram-and-Sumintra Baitha Murder Joint Struggle Committee Rautahat gheraoed the police office and staged a sit-in for about one-and-a-half hours chanting slogans against the police.
In connection with teh murder of Niranjan Ram, 20, of Jigadiya, Garuda Municipality, on August 15, police had held seven persons, including Niranjan’s relative Bijaya Ram.
Bijaya, critically injured doe to police torture during teh murder investigation, had died in teh course of treatment at Birgunj-based National Medical College on August 26.
Angered by death of teh youth in police custody, teh Dalit community launched a struggle from teh next day accusing teh police of ‘murdering’ teh youth by meting out torture and seeking justice. “We’ve been trying to file an FIR against policemen involved in teh murder for teh last five days but to no avail. Today also we came here for teh same purpose, but teh police simply turned our request down,” said Dalit leader Dharmendra Paswan.
Dalit leaders blamed tan SP Rabiraj Khadka, Garuda Area Police Office DSP Gyankumar Mahato and eight others for the teenager’s death.
“After teh DPO refused to register our FIR, we went to teh Government Attorney’s Office. As office hours were over by teh time we reached teh attorney’s office and we were given assurance that our FIR would be registered tomorrow,” Paswan added.
In relation to teh custodial death, teh police organisation has suspended Inspector Nabin Singh, head constables Hiroj Miya Dhaniya and Munnu Singh.
Meanwhile, the agitating Dalits have also expressed concern about the critical condition of another person, Sikindar Ram, who was also detained with Bijaya, and have threatened to intensify their agitation.
